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Home > A brief look at pinhole camera history and photography's humble beginnings
January 29, 2007
By: Lynn Bryant
Pinhole cameras are one of the earliest styles of camera
ever created. So what is a pinhole camera? It is essentially
a small-enclosed box with a tiny hole placed on one of the
sides. When light is allowed to entire through the tiny
hole, an image of the object directly outside the hole is
projected onto the opposite side of the box. We will explore
pinhole camera history a little deeper so you learn more
about how they first came into being.
The history of pinhole cameras spans as far back as 1544.
The first pinhole camera was actually not even a camera. It
was a room. In 1544, a German physicist and mathematician
named Gemma Frisius used this concept of light projection in
a small room to observe the solar eclipse. This was the very
first documented account of the use of a pinhole camera
device.
It was not until 1850 that a Scottish scientist by the
name of Sir David Brewster actually took the first actual
photography with a pinhole camera. However, it really was
not until the 1960's that the pinhole camera became
recognized as a popular means for photography. Click on the
following link if you are interested in reading and learning
more details about these
pinhole camera historical accounts.
The actual image created by a pinhole camera differs from
that of a standard camera. With pinhole cameras, the image
created is actually much softer. The outlines of the image
are not as sharp as standard cameras thus leading to a much
softer image. This is appealing to some photographers.
Because pinhole cameras are based around, allowing light to
enter into a small hole, poor and varying lighting
conditions can greatly increase the exposure time. Because
of this, Pinhole cameras are not very reliable at capturing
moving images.
Pinhole cameras are actually very easy to make. You can
construct your own functioning pinhole camera with a small
box, a thin piece of metal, a strip of black tape, and a
piece of photographic paper. You will need to make sure the
box is completely closed on all sides. You then make a small
opening on one side of the box. You then place a thin piece
of metal over the opening you created in the box. Make a
small hole in the center of the metal piece. Then, place a
piece of black tape over the hole. The final step is to
place a piece of photographic paper on the inside of the box
opposite the tiny hole you created in the metal piece. Keep
the small hole covered with the black tape until you are
ready to take a picture. Place the camera in front of the
object or area you wish to take an image of, and release the
black tape.
The process described above is a very simple version of a
pinhole camera. There are actually many different styles of
pinhole cameras available today. They are often used for
covert surveillance applications because they can be made
very small, so they can be easily hidden.
Even though these cameras have taken on a more modern
twist, they are all still built around the same simple
concept of projecting light. The boxes themselves may have
changed, but the idea behind them remains the same.
About the Author
Lynn Bryant is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Video-Surveillance-Guide.com. Your
definitive guide to video surveillance equipment, CCTV
cameras and wireless security systems for home and business.
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