1. How to Make a Pin-Hole Camera
Instruction Sheet
How does a camera change a big scene into a small picture? To see for
yourself, make a pinhole “camera.”
Step 1
Take an empty Pringles can and cut it in half
If you have the half with no bottom cover it with black sugar paper (make
sure it’s a thick layer)
Put some blu-tak inside at the bottom
Make a TINY hole in the centre of the base.
Then take the blu-tack out
Step 2
If the plastic lid on your can is translucent (light comes through but you
can't see through it), you're good to go. If it's transparent (you can see
through it), place a piece of waxed paper over the open end of the box
and hold it there with tape or a rubber band.
Step 3
Sit in a dim room that has a bright object in it, such as a lamp or a window
that lets in daylight. Lay a blanket over your head and the pinhole camera.
Step 4
Hold the camera at arm’s length, with the waxed paper toward you and
the punched-out hole sticking out from under the blanket. Point the
camera at the bright object. On the surface of the waxed paper, you will
see a picture of the object—backward and upside down.
A real camera uses the same principle as your pinhole camera except that
a real one does the job better. A real camera holds a piece of film
instead of waxed paper. That film is coated with chemicals that are
changed by light. They make the image into a lasting picture.
In a real camera, the lens does the same kind of job as the little hole—it
forms a backward, upside-down image. But the lens lets in a lot more light
so the film can do its work quickly.