Pin Hole Camera Workshops
World Pinhole Photography Day 26th April 2026
Article by Bob Symons
Each year on the last Sunday in April, ACE members choose pinhole cameras from the club's collection or create their own designs to participate in World Pinhole Photography Day.
Although pinhole cameras are about as basic as you can get, the real challenge is to create the very best image possible using the simplest device possible. The design is up to the individual, and it's a great opportunity to go all out with creativity. The best quality image comes from a careful design, paying particular attention to the accuracy of the pinhole. The better the pinhole, the better the photo. Seeing your image appear in the developing tray, as if by magic, is a moment that digital photography just cannot equal, especially when you've nailed the composition and the exposure.
This year, we'll be using our 3D printed cameras that were made for a recent Youth Photography Project.
Slow photography is a great way to get a taste of the beauty of analogue in a non-rushed process, which is why so many people enjoy being involved.
Check out our results when this year's batch of images is uploaded to the WPPD site a few weeks after the 26th. https://pinholeday.org/
Creative Works From Last Workshop
Pin Hole Cameras
A pinhole camera is the simplest form of camera. It works without a lens. Instead, light enters through a tiny hole and projects an image onto a surface inside a light-tight box. Here is the basic idea. Light travels in straight lines. When it passes through a very small hole, the rays cross and form an upside-down image on the opposite side of the box. Place photographic paper, film, or a digital sensor there to capture the picture.
Because the design is so simple, a pinhole camera can be made from almost anything. A biscuit tin, cardboard box, coffee can, matchbox, or even a shoebox will work, as long as no light leaks in. The pinhole is usually made by piercing thin metal foil with a fine needle, then covering the opening in the container.
Exposure times are longer than in normal photography, often producing soft, dreamy images with a distinctive character.