How do i take pictures with a pinhole camera?

Posted on March 8th, 2010 by admin

ok so i should have said make pictures. because i’ve already made the camera, taken the picture, developed in the dark room.
But how do turn the negative into a positive. Meaning i have a picture where the black and white areas are reversed.
I heard something about placing the negative print over the un-printed photo paper- but i’m not sure what to do next or if that even is the right way to do it.

Do any of you know because if you don’t i’d have to go and visit my highschool photo teacher.

i thought it might help if i add i use reg b&w photo paper in the pinhole camera to make the negative.

It’s a hit and miss method, but, in the darkroom, you’d take your exposed negative, and place the emulsion (light sensitive) sides together with a piece of unexposed paper, place a sheet of glass on top of the negative, and expose to light for something like 5 seconds (I don’t remember the exact number – so you’d have to experiment), then develop the newly exposed paper and you will get a positive image. Just like making contact prints. Have fun!

Diagram (just to clarify):

Light
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

================ <—-Glass
—————————- <—– Negative (emulsion side down)
—————————- <—– Unexposed paper (emulsion side up)

P.S. Here’s an additional tip; If you want to make a wide-angle ‘lens’ with the pinhole camera, just move the photo paper closer to the pinhole, curve the paper slightly and decrease the exposure time by a few seconds – you then get some quite arty distorted fisheye lens effects.

2 Responses

  1. Chay D Says:

    It’s a hit and miss method, but, in the darkroom, you’d take your exposed negative, and place the emulsion (light sensitive) sides together with a piece of unexposed paper, place a sheet of glass on top of the negative, and expose to light for something like 5 seconds (I don’t remember the exact number – so you’d have to experiment), then develop the newly exposed paper and you will get a positive image. Just like making contact prints. Have fun!

    Diagram (just to clarify):

    Light
    v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

    ================ <—-Glass
    —————————- <—– Negative (emulsion side down)
    —————————- <—– Unexposed paper (emulsion side up)

    P.S. Here’s an additional tip; If you want to make a wide-angle ‘lens’ with the pinhole camera, just move the photo paper closer to the pinhole, curve the paper slightly and decrease the exposure time by a few seconds – you then get some quite arty distorted fisheye lens effects.
    References :

  2. bigonegrande Says:

    Follow what Chay D say and you will be so happy with the results.
    I just add that if the original paper negative has manufacturer ID (Kodak paper, etc.) in the back it will appear also
    References :

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