52
Exploring Photography
Things to Do
1. Make a pinhole camera with the back removed. Cover the back with thin tissue. In a
darkened room, point the camera toward a lighted bulb or candle. Observe the image
formed on the tissue.
2. Make a series of photographs using a pinhole camera. Prepare a report on the result.
3. Collect 10 photographs from magazines. (Do not remove them from library copies.) Pass them
around during a group discussion. Discuss the possible aperture setting and lens focal
length used for each photo.
4. Collect lens advertisements. (They can be secured from local camera dealers, lens
manufacturers, and from discarded photo magazines.) Secure a cutaway illustration of a
lens. Count the elements. List the number of convergent and divergent lens elements in
the cutaway. Discuss the differences among the various types of lenses.
5. Most photo magazines evaluate lenses. Study several of these evaluations and explain to
the class how the lenses are tested.
6. Secure a camera with an adjustable lens. Take a series of photos at different aperture
settings and note how the depth of fi eld changes. Prepare a table showing the depth of
fi eld at different aperture settings.
7. Secure a simple camera with a fi xed aperture but adjustable focus. Photograph a subject
at various distances while changing the focus. Note how the depth of fi eld changes. How
do pictures made with this camera and lens compare with photos made with the camera
in Activity No. 6?