Constructing Pinhole Can Screens and Boxes

Materials Required

1. Empty soup can
2. Scissors
3. Hammer and small nail
4. Wax Paper
5. Elastic  Bands / Tape
6. Black Spray Paint

Step One

Use the nail to hammer a small hole in the centre of the closed end of the can.

Step Two

It is recommended that you reduce the reflective surface of the interior of  the can by spraying it with black paint. This is the only chemical based material that will be needed in the construction of  the can or box.

Step Three

Cover the open end of the can with a piece of wax paper. Attach it either with elastic bands or tape.

Pinhole Box

Take an empty  cardboard and prepare  opening at opposite ends. On one end make sure the opening is circular and is large enough for the can to fit securely. This is where tape is more suitable to hold the wax paper in place.

The viewer opening on the opposite side should be large enough to insert the digital camera lens.

As you can see I went cheap and simple.  It effectively demonstrates the way the early lens-less cameras and camera obscura functioned. The quality of the digital images vary, depending on a wide variety of factors,such as lighting, quality and settings of the digital camera.

If  you do not use spray paint or other dark paper to block out interior light you will get a golden glow box effect.

The following images were taken late in the day. No alteration was done to the images besides rotating and resizing.