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Q. ”What is a camera obscura?”
(Yes some people really ask that!)
A. Check out the page "What
is a Camera Obscura" on this site.
Q. “Can you send me plans for a camera
obscura?”
A. No. There are many types
of camera obscuras from simple cardboard boxes with a hole in one
side
to large rooms with complex optical and mechanical installations. Check
the links and bibliography
page for useful links that may assist in the building of a camera
obscura. We have preparing a Adobe Acrobat PDF file of an 1885 Amateur
Work article, "The Camera
Obscura: Its Uses, Action, and Construction" on
building several types of camera obscuras which can be downloaded
from this
site. The style is a little dated but a good craftsperson should
get some assistance in designing a camera obscura. We are preparing
a page with guidelines for building a box camera obscura
and some
hints
on planning
a room
camera
obscura
that will be posted as soon as it is ready. Keep an eye on the home
page for the announcement of that page.
Q. “Why do you call the site The
Magic Mirror of Life?”
A. We have an 1870s stereo card of the
camera obscura building in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia with this
title on the sign. To us this sums up the appeal of the camera obscura.
The first time we stood in a camera obscura we felt the magic of the
experience. The magic is not diminished by the fact that it is the real
living world that is reflected on the table.
Q. “Who invented the camera obscura?”
A. Nobody invented it. The camera obscura
works on a naturally occurring phenomenon. You might as well ask who
invented the rainbow! Over the centuries many people made contributions
to the camera obscura as we know it but all are based on the underlying
optical laws that are part of nature.
Q. “Is a camera obscura the same
as a pinhole camera?”
A. No. A pinhole camera is a type of
camera obscura, as are all photographic cameras. The pinhole camera
starts with a enclosed container (AKA the "dark room") with a very
small opening
to let in the light. It is therefore a camera obscura. Cameras that
use an actual pinhole size aperture are used to expose photographic
film or paper but have limited use as viewing or drawing devices because
the light that the pinhole admits is very dim and the image would be
very
hard
to
see. Most camera obscuras are made with lenses in the aperture since
this makes the image much brighter and sharper. Room sized camera obscuras
are sometimes made with lensless apertures but these openings are
much larger than a pinhole. We have been told that an opening about
the size of a US quarter can work well in some rooms.
Q. “Why would you go into a dark
room to look at the reflection of what you can see outside?”
A. We have met a number of people who
just “don't get it” when we explain what a camera obscura
is. Some of these people become converts to the cause when they actually
stand inside the room but some never do understand. Even modern children
who are blasé about technology have been heard to call out ”COOL!”
when the room goes dark and and a small circle of the world appears
on the table,“It's in color! It moves!” Watching the image
on the table or wall is not the same as looking at the view outside.
The selection and isolation of the projected image and the feeling of
watching the world outside without being seen are indeed magic.
Q. “What does it cost to build a
camera obscura?”
A. It can cost almost nothing if you
use recycled materials like cardboard cartons and a small hole in
thin material or as much as a “couple of Ferraris”, as I
once read about a complex room camera obscura.
Q. “Why don't you tell me everything
I need to know for my school project on the camera obscura?”
A. This is a personal web site where
we can share our visits to camera obscuras and our ongoing collecting
and research on the subject. We are happy if others find it of interest
or assistance but can not expect it to answer all needs for all visitors.
Q. “Can you send me an e-mail answer
to all my questions NOW because I have a paper due tomorrow?”
A. Sorry, this is not our full-time
activity. We have many other projects and will respond to questions
as our schedule allows. If you look through the site and at the links
page and still have questions, please write to us and we will help
if
we can.
Q. “Is the plural of camera obscura
'cameras obscura' or ”camera obscuras' or even 'camerae obscurae'?”
A. Actually this is a question we have
considered. If you think about it literally the first would mean “rooms
dark” while the second means “room darks”. Even though
it is the room that is plural and the dark is a quality not an object
the second phrase seems less awkward so we have used ”camera obscuras”
throughout the site.
We have been told by a teacher of Latin that the correct plural is
"camerae obscurae" but he agrees that our anglicization is not as awkward.
modified 5/2007
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