The Faculty of Visual Communication Design at Widyatama University and the pinhole camera enthusiasts, the Lubang Jarum Community (KLJ), held a photography workshop on the topic of The Revenge – Building a Pinhole Camera, on May 26, 2010, at the Widyatama University Campus in Bandung. The workshop was attended by students from several universities and high schools in Bandung. The appeal of this workshop was learning how to make your own camera by folding it yourself, determining the focal length, the distance between the hole and the reflective medium, and the size of the pinhole. The common thread of this workshop was to provide stimulation, showing that cameras can come in various shapes, but what is more important is the creative challenge of forming reflections through the shape of your own homemade camera.
The value of the creative process does not depend on the materials available; in fact, it can be more than that, utilizing materials that are considered unusable, or in other words, trash. Of course, this is the spirit that this workshop aims to build. According to one of the presenters, Ahmad A. Shofyadi from Enlight Learning Center, the term “The Revenge” in Indonesian means “revenge,” as used in the title of this activity, signifying a creative revenge conceived to creatively make a pinhole camera.
“An experiment, assembling by folding it yourself, determining the focal length, the distance between the hole and the reflective medium, and the size of the pinhole camera,” he explained.
At regular workshops held by pinhole communities in Bandung and other cities, tin cans are usually used as cameras, but this time, double-layer cardboard was used. However, this workshop provided participants with the opportunity to be creative. Of course, the workshop organizers did not just provide double-layer cardboard, but also gave participants some ideas and encouragement by providing several folding templates.
The assembly process took quite a long time, up to two hours from the time the materials were distributed. Some participants were able to follow along, while others were still struggling with the design or scribbling on the cardboard. This was a kind of challenge, rather than rubbing aluminum foil with sandpaper. Several times, the tip of the cutter knife was cut because it was only supported by a tile base, making it difficult to cut the cardboard, which turned out to be quite thick.
Of the more than 30 participants, everyone seemed enthusiastic about participating in this activity. To facilitate guidance, they were divided into three groups, led by Wili, Gilang, Rofii, Dede Gondrong, Deni, Ahmad, and Aceng. Assembling their own cameras using basic materials made of cardboard was difficult at first, but it was also interesting. It can be said that this is one approach to a workshop on making cameras.
The participants also learned about the history of pinhole cameras and their benefits, followed by another presentation by Dede Gondrong on how to mix chemicals and the process in a darkroom. In the final presentation session, Ahmad from Enlight explained the requirements for assembling a camera. The first instruction given stunned the 30 participants, especially those who had never participated in this activity before. How to make a camera obscura from a piece of thick cardboard. (source: Bandung Pinhole Community)
