The Agenda

(that actually works and takes pictures)

by Jillette

Haven’t you always had a secret desire to make something that looks like an explosive device and then go stand in front of federal buildings with it while holding a timer? Only you will know that it is actually a pinhole camera. That Fed-Ex guy making deliveries might think it is something else. Make sure you have a get away vehicle while taking these pictures.

You should find a buddy to do this with, because it might be more fun, and it makes for an interesting first date to be sure.

1. Round up all your supplies

• black spray paint

• box with tight fitting lid, like an oatmeal canister with a lid (NOT a shoebox)
• X-Acto knife, scissors
• fine-grade sandpaper
• medium sized needle
• pencil (stick the eye end of the needle in the eraser part of the pencil)
• a pie tin (cut out a 2” x 2” square)
• black masking tape (don’t use black electrical tape—it’s just not sticky enough)
• black Sharpie

2. OK!
First: Paint the inside of your box black. Paint the lid too. Make sure everything is black! Make it black, make sure. Repaint it all black! Hold the lid up to the sunlight and check for light leaks. Tape the top. Tape the bottom. There is no light allowed in this box!

Second: Get your pie tin square. Get your needle-drill and sandpaper and some water.
On a mouse pad or some cardboard drill a tiny little pinprick into the metal (twisting the pencil and applying slight pressure). DON’T JUST STAB THE NEEDLE THROUGH! Twirl it like a ballerina Barbie. FLIP the metal over and with the wet sandpaper buff the rough edges of the hole you just made. DRILL, FLIP, BUFF. Repeat this a few times till you have a perfectly round pinhole with NO jagged edges. Now, with a Sharpie, color one side of the metal black.

3. NEXT!
Cut a little hole in your black box, somewhere in the middle (not in the lid please). Tape your metal over the hole you just made with the black side facing in. Tape all around the sides completely, making sure no light can creep in. Make a shutter for your camera by doubling up some black tape, about 8” long. Slap it on the box and have one end cover the pinhole.
This is your fancy shutter. You can surely make a nicer and fancier one with some imagination and Velcro. Note: make sure the “tape shutter” does not flap around in front of the pinhole opening when you are taking a picture.

Now you are done making your camera! Decorate it and make sure it is light tight.

Most importantly, you 100% need and MUST have access to a darkroom. People like students and mad professors have darkrooms… well, what about normal people!?

Use the AS220 Community Darkroom, dudes. You really should, if only for developing pinhole photos. It is wicked cheap and I can even set you up, it rocks! Okay, now that that’s out of the way.

Go to SBI (10 Davol Square, Providence RI 02903, 751-5190) and get a box of photo paper. Get expired paper if they have any. Then, go to the AS220 Darkroom and load your camera. You may need to cut the paper to fit your camera. IMPORTANT! Make sure the shiny light sensitive side of the paper (not the back-printed side) is facing OUT. Now put that lid on tight, make sure your shutter is totally shut, and GO OUTSIDE.

So now you are outside. Find something interesting like the Federal Building to take a picture of. Make sure it is frontally lit. Put the camera down on a steady surface. Make sure it does not jiggle, hold steady if need be. Remove shutter … count to 30 Mississippis … reattach shutter. Bring into the Darkroom for results.

The lab monitor, or a friend in the know, can show you what to do here. But see the nifty diagram for the order and amount of time you put the paper in each tray of chemicals.

So WOW! I hope your box is totally light safe. If your paper turned completely BLACK it is NOT. (Fix your dang camera now.) If your paper turned mostly very dark but with an image on it that means it is overexposed (too much light). You need to use fewer Mississippis. Try 15 next time and go from there (or there may be a tiny light leak in your camera, check for that too!) If your paper turned light grey with no real blacks or dark areas but an image is recognizable that means you might need more Mississippis because it is underexposed. Try a whole 60 and then troubleshoot accordingly.

So what do you do when you finally get a good paper negative exposure?
(Well, for starters, remember what you did! Write it down on the box.)

1. Scan it into your computer and invert it with a graphic program. TA-DAH!

2. Make a contact print of it in the Darkroom. This can be a little tricky and it helps if you have Darkroom experience, otherwise I would be happy to help out the first couple of times you shoot if I can. After that you are on your own, unless of course you want to feed me food from the Taqueria Pacifica.

HAPPY SHOOTING!