FROM PAPER! I know that sounds pretty amazing and I must say I was a little in awe when I was first introduced to the Dirkon paper camera. Dirkon is a paper camera kit that was first release in 1976 in a communist magazine and designed by Martin Pilný, Mirek Kolár, and Richard Vyškovský. Today the template is available as a free downloadable PDF. All you do is print out the pattern, get your minimal supplies and away you go. Try not to get frustrated, it’s a bit of a puzzle. DOWNLOAD HERE
I was pretty amazed when I saw what kind of photos this little paper camera can produce. You can check out hundreds of user submitted photos in Dirkon Flickr Group.
The above photo was taken on January 4, 2011 by uoɹʇıd using a hand made Dirkon.
The above photo was taken on March 28, 2010 by nefotografas using a hand made Dirkon.
If you’d like you can customize your focal length by experimenting with different hole sizes to get different effects. This camera is built to run with standard 35 mm film and you can use black/white or color film. I wouldn’t rely on this camera to take your day to day pictures but it sure was fun cutting out all the template and piecing the pieces together. I haven’t gotten around to purchasing film, but it’s on my list of things to do.
If you have any questions while making your own Dirkon you can ask me or see if your question was answered in the discussion section of the flickr group mentioned above. I’d love to see other’s photos if you have success.