When I went digital, I had a whole pile of film in the fridge that just sat there for a long time and eventually expired. If you (or your parents) have been into photography for a while, you’re probably in the same situation. But as long as you don’t expect perfection every time, even expired film can be used, especially for different creative projects using “alternative” cameras. The fact that it’s expired may even add an interesting twist to your photos.

April 26 is Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, so I thought we’d talk about pinhole cameras in this article.

Making pinhole cameras out of everyday objects has been popular since the 1500s, and I’m sure you all have experimented with boxes, coffee cans, etc. While they certainly work (and some quite well), it can be inconvenient to have to load and unload film in total darkness, and figuring out how to get 35mm film to work can be quite tricky. Here are a few cameras that use 35mm and 120 film that can be loaded in daylight:

Pinhole Blender’s Cameras The “cookie and tea tin” cameras from Pinhole Blender accept 35mm, 120 and 4×5 film (although you do have to load the 4×5 in darkness) and come in several different configurations with 1, 3, or 6 pinholes. They all have 2 knobs on top to advance the film, and they also take a little bit of the guesswork out of shooting pinholes by providing you with exposure suggestions. These are great, affordable cameras ($20 to $80) for anyone who wants to give pinhole photography a try.

Holga Pinhole The medium format (i.e. uses 120 film) Holga Pinhole Camera is another inexpensive option ($60, which includes 4 rolls of film). It looks like a regular camera, but instead of a lens, it has a tiny pinhole with an aperture of f/192. You can use any 120 film you want – color, slide, b&w – and there is only one shutter speed: B (which means that the shutter stays open as long as you press the button). The suggested time is anywhere from 2 seconds to 30 minutes, so you’ll have to experiment with that. (There is an optional cable release available, which I think is a very worthwhile investment). You can advance the film as much or as little as you want in between each exposure, so if you want to try double exposures, just don’t advance it at all before taking your next shot, or if you are creating a panoramic shot, advance just a little bit, and the photos will blend together into one long image.

The Hexomniscope If you get hooked on pinhole photography and want to give something truly unique a try, check out the pinhole camera from Pinhole Resource. The Hexomniscope is a round, medium format (120 film) camera with 6 pinholes (f/180) and 6 shutters around its body, so if you choose to expose through all of them, you get 6 overlapping 60 degree images. It comes with a CD with instructions, and costs $1,590.

Digital Pinhole If you have a digital SLR, there is a really easy way to turn it into a pinhole camera: get an extra body cap (around $3), drill a small hole in it, and use it as your “lens”.

So What Is Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day? It’s a worldwide annual event, held on the last Sunday in April, to encourage people to take some time off from technology and get back to basics for a day. You can use any pinhole camera (homemade is fine) but you have to take the pictures on that particular day (April 26 this year). Then upload your photos (so if you use film, you need to have it developed and scanned) and submission form, and if the “Coordinating Team” selects any of your photos, they will be displayed online.

Similar Posts:

• Cool Photography – Pinhole Cameras That Will Get Your Creativity Going
• Do You Know How A Pinhole Camera Works?
• Discover A New Passion With Self-Made Pinhole Cameras
• How Much Fun Is Digital Camera Shopping?
• Just What Is A Pinhole Camera?

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