Boothbay Region High School teacher Chip Schwehm has his students making pinhole cameras in his new engineering physics class. The idea behind the class is to learn topics in physics and to make the learning points into a physical project displaying those lessons.

“In this case, it's to build a camera and to approach picture-taking in a somewhat scientific manner," said Schwehm.

Faith Blethen described the light properties: To generate a clear image, the ratio of the pinhole size has to be matched to the proper focal length which, with these cameras, is the distance between the hole and the end of the camera.

Gerald Gagne explained the process: The photographic paper is cut to the size of the box and loaded in total darkness. Then it is brought outside where students expose the paper for a set amount of time and then bring it back in to develop the photos.

“We got rather efficient at it by the end,” said Gagne. “We could get like three photos by the end of class.”

The class explained the developing process’s three parts: The developer – a solution of hydroquinone, sodium carbonate and sodium sulfite – is first used. Then a "stop bath" – a soak composed of acetic or citric acid – ends development. Finally, the "fixer,” composed of ammonium thiosulfate, ends the film's exposure.

The students demonstrated a giant pinhole camera Schwehm set up for the darkroom – a blackout sheet with a hole about the size of a 6d nail. The image of the shop is projected against a whiteboard hung up on the other side of the dark room. The students said Schwehm then explained why the projected image is upside down and inverted – all in all, a good science lesson with a subject mostly related to art, said Schwehm.

"Getting it steady, cutting down on the reflections, where you put the film, how to make the pinhole – it's kind of a fun way to get the engineering part in on the basics of image formation,” said Schwehm.

This is an example of STEAM, or science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

"I'm not a big acronym guy, but in thinking about that, the classes that have kind of an artistic component to them, I think, motivate kids to learn the rest of it better. It seems to add a little icing that just makes the STEM process more fun.”

The theory and practice behind the cameras’ function show the need to  understand more than just basic physics and chemistry. So what could possibly be next?

Lenses. That is the next project, said Schwehm. “They'll be making telescopes."