Obscura is a pinhole camera kit for for hobbyists, beginners, and film fanatics who want to try something different. It also opens the door for schools without the budget for a darkroom to teach the principles of photography from both a scientific and artistic background.

The kit includes a camera with a reversible two shot paper cartridge, a ‘lens’ with three aperture sizes, an attachment to invert paper negatives, and a developing tank with a photo-safe red LED that allows photographers to watch their photos develop in a mobile darkroom.

Tools Used

Solidworks, Keyshot, Photoshop, Procreate, Zbrush

The Camera

The camera includes several features designed to make it as versatile and portable as possible. The paper cartridge allows for two exposures before returning to the dark room (or darkroom bag) and the removable lens includes a wheel with three different aperture sizes for evening, indoor, and bright light.

The double shot cartridge allows for quicker shifts to the next subject, or different exposure times of the same subject to gauge times and aperture use.

The Inverter

Once the lens is removed, the camera can be fitted with the Inverter, which uses the body of the camera and an LED with a timer in place of bulky and expensive enlargers to invert the developed paper negative onto the positive.

The Developing Box

The Developing Box is the element of the kit that enables photographers to take and develop (and reshoot if needed) pinhole photos on the go, breaking the tether to the traditional darkroom. Using similar techniques to film developing tanks, the developing box is a water and light sealed container used to bathe your photographs in the series of chemicals necessary to reveal and set the images.

Developer, stop baths, fixer, and water rinses are all funneled through a light-proof spiral and agitated for the appropriate amount of time before being poured back into their container and swapped for the next step in the process.

On the front of the box a cap allows a peek into the interior developing space. A low powered red LED within the box, and a tinted window allow photographers to check on the developing process without the need for a darkroom.