Making ceramic cameras.

Making ceramic cameras. I have been exploring pinhole photography as a way to incorporatephotography into my ninth-grade art curriculum. I began experimentingwith the idea of creating functional cameras from clay, allowingstudents to experience ceramics, photography and painting all in oneunit. For many students this is their first experience with photographyand their first in-depth experience with ceramics. It is fun to watchtheir faces when you tell them they are going to create a functioningcamera that can actually take a photograph. Many students now associatephotography with the camera function on their phones or digital cameras.It is even more fun to tell them that we will be making these camerasout of clay! Each student is asked to create a clay camera that fits veryparticular requirements. It must not exceed 8 inches in height, belight-tight, have a light-safe lid, and be capable of holding a 4"x 5" piece of photographic paper. It must also have a hole in theside to insert the pinhole after it's been fired. The keyrequirement in the construction is making a functional clay form thatdoes not allow any light into the interior body of the camera. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We start by discussing the principles of photography and how theyrelate to creating a pinhole camera A pinhole camera is a camera without a conventional glass lens. An extremely small hole in a very thin material can focus light by confining all rays from a scene through a single point. . The traditional glass lens isreplaced with a small pinhole, the pinhole size is the camera'saperture An orifice. It often refers to an opening in which light is allowed to pass in optical systems such as cameras and lasers. See f-stop and numerical aperture. , and the shutter (1) An opaque window that is moved in one direction to let light in and in another to close off the light. In fixed-lens cameras, one shutter often suffices for aperture and speed. has been replaced with a piece of electricaltape. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The students then create numerous thumbnail sketches and thencreate a working drawing to scale, using their knowledge of one- andtwo-point perspective. I always tell students, "You are thearchitect and you cannot start building without good blueprints." Ialso say, "Once clay has been fired, it could be around forthousands of years. A future civilization might dig it up and discoveryour project much like those of ancient Greece The term ancient Greece refers to the periods of Greek history in Classical Antiquity, lasting ca. 750 BC[1] (the archaic period) to 146 BC (the Roman conquest). It is generally considered to be the seminal culture which provided the foundation of Western Civilization. and Egypt--so you areresponsible for making good work!" The students have already been given rather binding parameters forthe project. To allow for creativity within these, they can pick thetheme of their cameras. Creating an interesting theme while making itfunctional is a great design lesson; it is interesting to see thestudents' various creative solutions. We then cover the basics of ceramic slab construction. Studentsstart by forming a slab around a PVC PVC:see polyvinyl chloride. PVCin full polyvinyl chlorideSynthetic resin, an organic polymer made by treating vinyl chloride monomers with a peroxide. pipe that measures 4.5 inches indiameter. This controls the amount of space between the photo paper andthe pinhole, allowing for consistency in the relative amount of exposuretime needed from camera to camera. It also allows the students to make ashape relatively few seams. The students seal the cylinder by attachinga clay slab to the top and bottom. When the form is leather-hard, thecylinder is cut open 2-3 inches from the top to create a lid. A smallslab strip is placed on the inside of the lid to create a lip. This lipwill allow the lid to fit securely and create a light-safe seal. Although the construction needs to be precise and the cameras needto be well-crafted, creating the pinhole is a rather simple process thatrequires just a few materials. I purchased a #79.0145-inch drill bit onthe Internet. These drill bits are for electronics, can be found on manyWeb sites and are inexpensive. I have also had success making pinholesusing a "T-pin." The pinhole should be made in a thin piece ofmetal or embossing embossing,process of producing upon various materials designs or patterns in relief by mechanical means. The material is pressed between a pair of dies especially adapted to its hardness and the depth of the design needed. tin. A square cut from a soda can also works. I usean old microscope (from science class) to make sure the hole is roundand there are not any metal burrs obstructing the pinhole. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Once the camera has been completed, it is painted black inside, solight does not reflect inside the camera body. The pinhole is centeredover the hole in the clay and, using electrical tape, the pinhole isadhered to the inside wall of the camera. To test if the students' cameras are light safe, I give eachstudent a small piece of photo paper and have them seal their camerasand cover their pinholes. After a few minutes in the sun, we take thecameras in the darkroom darkroom,n a completely lightproof room or cubicle that is used in the processing of photographic, medical, and dental films. See also safe light. and develop the paper. At this time we alsodiscuss the ins and outs ins and outs?pl.n.1. The intricate details of a situation, decision, or process.2. The windings of a road or path. of a photographic dark room. If the paper stayswhite (unexposed), the camera is light tight. If the paper turns blackor gray (exposed), then we investigate the problem and look for lightleaks. In most instances, taping the lid shut At this point it is time to go outside to take pictures in thenatural light. In my experience, exposure times for these cameras insunny conditions range from 30 seconds to two minutes. It is importantto let your students know that due to such a long shutter speed In a still camera, the length of time that the shutter is open, exposing the film (analog) or CCD or CMOS sensor (digital) to light for a single image. In a camcorder, the shutter speed is the frame speed; for example, 24, 30 or 60 frames per second (fps). See exposure and shutter lag. , iftheir subject is moving, the photograph will turn out blurry. Rememberthat the photo paper you put in the camera is a negative image. Manystudents think the negative is cool by itself, but that negative can beexposed through another piece of photo paper to create a positive image. This is the third semester se��mes��ter?n.One of two divisions of 15 to 18 weeks each of an academic year.[German, from Latin (cursus) s I have done this project with students.I suggest an making example before introducing the lesson. In myexperience, students enjoy this project from beginning to end. Theceramic process is hands-on and the photographic process has a magicalquality that students really enjoy. RESOURCES * Evans, J. Adventures with Pinhole and Home-Made Cameras.Rotovision; 2003. * www.drillbitcity.com * www. pinholeresource.com * www.pinhole.com LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will ... * develop basic design skills. * learn to work with building parameters. * learn ceramic terms and vocabulary. * learn ceramic slab construction. * be able to create a functional clay form. * understand basic photography principles and terms. * develop an understanding of photographic darkroom principles. * be able to create a photographic negative and develop a positiveimage. MATERIALS * Photographic paper * Basic darkroom supplies * Acrylic paint * Low-fire clay * #79 0.0145-inch drill bit, or T-pin * Some form of tin * Electrical tape * Microscope * Assorted paintbrushes paintbrushessee castilleja. * 4.5-inch PVC pipe, 12 inches long (or other form of tube) Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for links toWeb sites related to this article and to view students'photographic work. Matt Squibb is an art teacher at Whitmer High School in Toldeo,Ohio.