Pinhole Photography
Tutorial developed by Natalie LoVetri
Digital design by Indiana Humniski
A clipping from J. E. Adnams’ “A Plea for Pinhole Photography” (1917).
Long-exposure pinhole photograph, taken and processed by Natalie LoVetri.
A solargraph taken with a homemade pinhole camera over the course of five months (Vanessa Warne, 2023).
This tutorial, which is based on a workshop by artist Brenda Stuart, offers advice to the first-time pinhole photographer.
Victorian-era photographers used pinhole cameras to take short-exposure photographs that they developed using chemical methods. This tutorial, designed for the twenty-first-century photographer, will teach you how to repurpose beverage cans to make a simple box camera. You will use your camera to take a long-exposure photograph over a series of weeks or months. We hope these experiences will deepen your knowledge of the history of photography.
Click here for historical and modern resources that share information about the nineteenth-century history of pinhole photography and also about present-day makers’ experiments with pinhole cameras. Click here to read a reflection from Indiana Humniski and click here to read a reflection from Natalie LoVetri, two first-time pinhole photographers.
Examples of Victorian-Era Pinhole Photography
Photograph taken with a pinhole camera, Photographisches Archive, published in 1891.
“The Onion Field” (1890), a pinhole photograph taken by George Davison (1854-1930).
Examples of Twenty-First-Century Pinhole Photography
Pinhole photographs taken, digitized, and developed by Natalie LoVetri (2024).
Gathering the Materials
Materials:
2 recycled aluminum beverage cans (one 473ml can & one 355ml can)
Black acrylic paint or black spray paint or black paper
A roll of black electrical tape
A light-coloured pencil or permanent marker or whiteout
A sewing needle
A scrap of sandpaper
A 5 x 7 sheet of black and white photographic paper (matte or pearl)
Tools:
A strong pair of scissors
A can opener
You will also need to access:
A dark space to work in
A scanner (many photocopiers have a scanner function; a smartphone will work)
A computer or smartphone to digitally process your image
Basic photo editing software (such as LunaPic, which is available free online)
Step One: Making the Camera
Begin by washing and drying your aluminum cans. Using your can opener, remove the tops from both cans. Set the taller can aside. This is the body of your camera. The bottom half of the shorter can will be the lid for your camera. Create it using your kitchen scissors. Cut half way down the shorter can’s height. Then turn your scissors and keep cutting to remove the top half of the can. The edges will be jagged and sharp so be careful. Once the can is cut down to size, use your scissors to clean up the edge.
Using scissors to cut the 355ml can down the side. Cut about halfway down.
A tall can that will serve as the body of the camera and a shortened can that will serve as a lid.
A picture of the cans after they have been cut. Together, they make the body and lid of the pinhole camera.
Step Two: Painting the Camera
Next, you will paint (or line with black paper) the interior surfaces of both cans. Your goal is to reduce light glare inside your camera. Spray paint covers aluminum well and dries quickly; if you have some dark-coloured spray paint at hand, this is a good use for it. Black acrylic paint works too. Work in a well-ventilated area; protect your work surface. Let your cans dry completely. Painting the outside surfaces of both cans is optional but recommended for cameras that will be installed outdoors. Paint can camouflage a camera placed in a public space, lessening the chance of it being tampered with; paint can also make the camera less of an eyesore. Once dry, test the fit by gently placing the smaller can “lid” over the taller “body” can. They should fit together snuggly. Pull them apart to finish construction.
Step Three: Making the Aperture
Use a sewing needle to make your pinhole; the pinhole is the aperture that will allow light to enter the camera. If you have a thimble, you can use a thimble- covered finger to push the needle into the can; you can also use a cork or an eraser as a handle for your needle. Make a single pin-sized puncture about halfway down from the top of your taller can.
Use a scrap of sandpaper to sand the interior of the can in the location of the pinhole. Your goal is to remove any metal burr that may have been created by the insertion of the pin. Remember: the top edges of the can may be sharp.
Use a pencil, marker, or whiteout to make a small mark on the exterior of the can above your pinhole. This mark will help you locate your pinhole when you are loading your camera. Next, make a “shutter” to cover your pinhole. Cut a two-inch piece of electrical tape and fold one end back on itself to create a tab. Place the sticky portion of the tape over the pinhole. The mark pointing to the pinhole should be visible.
Natalie’s finished pinhole camera with identification mark and electrical tape shutter.
Your pinhole camera is now ready to load!
Step Four: Loading the Camera
The eTone darkroom safelight
(click image to purchase)
Ilford brand’s black & white photopaper
(click image to purchase)
In addition to the prepared cans, you will need scissors, electrical tape, and your sealed supply of black and white photographic paper. You will also need to work in a room you can darken. A dim room will work as total darkness is not necessary when handling supplies for long exposure pinhole photography. That said, do your best to limit the photographic paper’s exposure to light.
Before darkening the room, arrange your supplies so you can find them easily; make sure you take note of where the pinhole is in your can. The sheet of photographic paper you will place in the camera should not cover the pinhole from the inside. Cut a small piece of electrical tape and attach it to the edge of your work surface. You will use this to secure the photographic paper inside your camera so it does not shift and block your pinhole. You will use electrical tape to seal the lid to the body of the camera.
A note on photographic paper: Natalie used Ilford brand photographic paper (Black and White, pearl or matte, 5 x 7). This paper is available for purchase online or at photography supply stores. It can be purchased in sets of 25 or 100 sheets; each sheet costs approximately $1 (CDN). Photographic paper is light sensitive; it should not be accidentally exposed to light (natural or artificial). Leave it in the sealed black bag it comes in; do not open this bag unless you are in a darkened room; make a habit of immediately closing the bag after removing a sheet of paper.
Regarding working in a dark or dim room: If you do not have access to a room without windows, consider working at night. You can work in a darkened room using your sense of touch or you can experiment with setting your smartphone to a darkroom safelight setting, as described in Natalie’s example. If you have access to a darkroom safelight, use that.
Follow these steps:
Working in a dark or dim room, take a single piece of photographic paper out of its protective bag. Close the opening of the bag. Examine the paper with your sense of touch. The smoothest side, which will also appear shinier if you are using a darkroom light, is chemically treated. This is the side of the paper you want to face toward the pinhole. With the shiny side in, curl the shorter sides of the paper toward one another to make a tube you will slip into the body of your can. Once you let go of the paper, it will spring open and line the inside of the can. Move the paper so that the pinhole is not covered by it. Using your finger on the inside of the can, feel for the pinhole to make sure the photographic paper has not covered the pinhole.
If you find it hard to locate the pinhole with your finger, you can remove the electrical tape that is serving as your shutter and gently re-insert the sewing pin into the pinhole. You will be able to feel if the pin hits paper. If it does, reposition the paper so that the pinhole is centered in the portion of the can not covered by paper. Use the small piece of electrical tape you prepared to secure the paper in place; cover as little of the paper as possible. If you removed your tape shutter to check the paper’s position, make sure to recover the pinhole with tape now.
Next, take the lid you made out of the shorter can and place it on top of the camera body so as to seal it. Push the lid down gently but firmly; use electrical tape to secure the lid to the body. Your goal is to secure the lid in place and to prevent light from entering the can through this seam. Your camera is loaded now; this means you no longer need to work in darkness.
Step Five: Placing the Camera
Your camera is ready to install! When selecting a location for installation, you may want to keep the following in mind:
You can install your camera indoors or outdoors. If placing your camera indoors, choose a space that has lots of natural light. Consider pointing your camera’s pinhole towards the outdoors. If placing your camera outdoors, know both that your camera is quite weather-hardy and that it might attract the attention of curious humans or animals. This is a long-exposure practice; patience is key. Plan to leave your pinhole camera in place for at least a month; consider leaving it in place for several months. If you wish to capture the path of the sun across the sky, face the pinhole of your camera toward the Equator (ie. south-facing in the Northern Hemisphere). Secure your camera to prevent it from moving. If placing your camera on a branch, fence post, railing or downspout, you will find a pair of zip ties and/or electrical tape work well. Try not to crush the can when securing it; do not cover the area of the pinhole.
Once the camera is secured in place, remove the electrical tape shutter from your pinhole to allow light in. Stick the electrical tape shutter tab to the side of your camera so you can re-use it when removing your camera. Take a digital photograph of your camera; make a note of the date and location of installation.
Natalie LoVetri on her pinhole cameras’ locations:
“The first location I placed my pinhole camera was outdoors, overlooking the red river. I specifically chose this location because it faced Southwest and would capture the path taken by the winter sun. I left my camera positioned here for three months. After developing the image from this location, I decided to choose an indoor location for my second attempt with the pinhole camera (read more about this in “Reflections”). I mounted my pinhole camera on a tall lamp located in the corner of my living room. There are large windows on either side of the room which allows natural light into the space. I left my camera in this location for 1 month.”
Feel free to experiment with the amount of time you leave your camera on location. Note that longer exposure times will be necessary for cameras located in areas with less access to natural light.
Natalie’s camera mounted using zip ties to a fence post. This pinhole’s view is facing Southwest.
Natalie’s camera mounted to the fence post. This pinhole’s view is facing West.
Natalie’s pinhole camera mounted to her living room lamp.
Picture taken with Natalie’s iPhone from the position of her mounted pinhole camera.
Step Six: Harvesting the Camera
Before you harvest your camera, re-cover the pinhole with electrical tape. Once the pinhole is covered, you can move your camera. As long as no light is entering your camera, your pinhole photograph will be safe inside the camera until you are ready to work with it.
Step Seven: Developing the Image
The image on the photographic paper inside your pinhole camera needs to be scanned and then processed digitally. As noted above, to create a digital version of your image, you can use a flatbed scanner or the scanning function built into a photocopier (home or office). If you do not have access to these tools, you can use a smartphone or a digital camera. If using a smartphone or digital camera, you will need a way to hold the curled up photographic paper flat. A 5 x 7 picture frame with the glass removed could work well. You will also need to position your smartphone or digital camera so as to minimize distortion of the image. Whatever method you are using, practice with a curled piece of plain paper cut to 5 inches by 7 inches. Practice will make handling the light-sensitive photographic paper and creating a digital copy of it easier.
A picture of Natalie’s setup for scanning her image, including her can, scanner and laptop on her bathroom counter.
If you are using a scanner or photocopier, make sure you are familiar with how it works. These devices use light, which will eventually degrade the image on your photographic paper. For example, some scanners make a preview scan; some make a series of scans in order to warm up. To limit unnecessary exposure of your image to light, you might need to turn off the preview function or run the scanner through the scanning process a couple times before opening your camera. We recommend setting the image size to 5 by 7, again to limit unnecessary exposure to light.
As with loading your camera, it is advisable to work in a darkened or dim space. Before turning out the lights, find and peel back the end of the electrical tape that secures the lid of your camera but do not remove the lid while the lights are on. Know which corner of the scanner bed you will need to place the paper on. Be prepared to place your photographic paper back into the can to protect it from light if anything goes wrong; you can also use a book and place it between its closed pages.
When you are ready, remove the tape that holds the lid on and twist the lid of your camera to take it off. This may take a bit of force. Once the lid is off, gently peel off the small piece of tape used to keep your photographic paper in place. Remove the paper from the camera. Place the photographic paper onto the scanner or copier. Close the lid of the device and make your scan. Once the scan is complete, remove the photographic paper from the scanner and keep it away from light. You can put it back into the pinhole camera with the lid on, or into a closed book, or into a lightsafe box or bag.
Step Eight: Developing the Image
When you open your scanned image file, you may have an image that looks similar to these:
Natalie’s pinhole photographs after her initial scan.
It is now time to work with your digital scan.
Your pinhole camera created an image that is flipped horizontally. It also created a negative (versus a positive) image. You will use photo editing software to process your image. We recommend LunaPic, which is free and user friendly. If using LunaPic, follow these steps:
Open your web browser to https://www9.lunapic.com/editor/
Click on “Edit a photo: Upload”
Upload your scanned image.
Click on the “Filters” menu and select “Negative”
Click on the “Adjust” menu and select “Mirror”
Click the “Download Now” button to download your image to your device
If you would like to continue working on your pinhole photograph, you can use LunaPic or any photo editing software that is available to you. We suggest you experiment with any photo editing software that is preloaded on your device (“Photo” for PC users; “Photos” for Apple users). If you are using “Photo,” you can, for example, select the “Adjustment” icon to reveal a set of sliders that will make different kinds of visual information visible. Experiment with them. Similarly, you may want to experiment with the “Retouch” tool to remove scanners lines or traces of dust from your image. Follow your own preferences.
Historical Resources
Forgan, W. "Pinhole Photography." The Photographer's World, vol. 2, no. 21, 15 Dec. 1887, pp. 204-5.
To access more contemporary sources, click here.
If you are an instructor looking for some guidance on incorporating pinhole photography into your humanities class, click here for a sample assignment.
To read Indiana Humniski’s reflection on pinhole photography and to see her final results, click here.
To read Natalie LoVetri’s reflection on pinhole photography and to see her final results, click here.
Historical Image Citations
Adnams, J. E. "A Plea for Pinhole Photography." The American Annual of Photography, vol. XXXI, 1917, pp. 250+.
Schnauss, Hermann. Photographic Pastimes: A Series of Interesting Experiments for Amateurs for Obtaining Novel and Curious Effects with the Aid of the Camera. Iliffe & Son, 1891. p. 115.
Davison, George. "The Onion Field." Photographs from the National Media Museum, Primary Source Media, 1890.
Historical Images sourced by Indiana Humniski
If you’ve tried this at home- please share your experience! Connect with us on Instagram @crafty_victorians.
Contributors
Brenda Stuart
Natalie LoVetri
Indiana Humniski
Natalie, who earned her Master’s in English at the University of Manitoba, joined the Crafting Communities team in 2020. She is passionate about exploring all forms of creative expression. Her research interests include constructions of identity, feminist theory, and post-structuralism. Charles Dickens first sparked her love of Victorian literature and she believes no one should go through life without reading Great Expectations. She enjoyed spending time experimenting with pinhole photography.
Indiana Humniski is an R.A. for Crafting Communities, entering her fourth year in the Honours English program at the University of Manitoba. She is known for her love for literature (and Taylor Swift). This is the first crafting tutorial that she has ever designed; she has valued the frequent trial-and-error sessions that have culminated in this final result. She encourages curious crafters to try pinhole photography & wallow in the weirdness!