I Made a Camera Out Of A Patron Box

While the idea of capturing life on film without the help of professionals may seem daunting to some, the mechanics behind a Do-It-Yourself pinhole camera really isn't so complicated once you realize the materials you need are within reach. (Just a heads up: constructing a pinhole camera cost us about $45 total, not counting the bottle of Roca Patron tequila that was generously provided.)

You're only going to need five materials to make a successful camera:

1) One booze box
2) A sheet of aluminum foil 
3) Black tape
4) A pin 
5) Film (This will, undoubtedly, be the most expensive material.)

 

Step One

Cover any and every crease in the box that could potentially let light in with black tape. Gaffer tape is the best kind to use, but anything thick and dark will do the job. Once your box is covered—that's what he said—you can continue. (It goes without saying, I hope, that you must finish drinking all the Patron.)

Step Two

Cut a small square in the middle of the camera. If the box is the body of the camera, the hole is the part underneath where the lens would be. Got it? And save the piece you cut out, as you'll need it later. 

Step Three

Secure a square of aluminum foil on the inside by taping the perimeter of the square. Taping the perimeter on both the inside and outside of the box will ensure there won't be any light leaks.  

Step Four

Poke a hole in the center of the foil using a pin. This is your "lens." 

Step Five 

Remember that rogue piece of cardboard you cut out of the body of the camera? That's now your shutter. Secure it with tape so it acts as a hinge over the pinhole. You can see that there is black tape extending past the sides—this is to ensure there are no light leaks.

Step Six

In a very dark room (like inside of a darkroom, for example), place your film to the inside of the camera on the surface opposite from the pinhole. Then cover your shutter and tape down the top of the box. Photo paper works well for long exposures, but using film shows that you're a wildcard who likes "taking it to the limit." 

Step Seven

Go outside, because you need a lot of sunlight for this to work; light is your worst enemy with the pinhole camera, unless you're outside.

You can measure your exposure by using this handy guide. Our photo (above here) was taken in a moderately-lit alley with exposure time of 1/4 a second—and the shutter was taped the moment it went back down.

You're looking at a photo of me standing in the middle of an alley in the daytime. You can make out the curbs of the sidewalk on each side and a white truck in the background. See that fetus-looking guy at the back, about an inch big? That's me! Obviously, the results could have been better, but you're looking at photo taken from a camera made out of a booze box.

Science, man.


Jeremy Glass is the Vice editor for Supercompressor and this isn't the first time a grainy picture of him has appeared online.