Camera Obscura
The basic concept of black & white photography was founded on the principles of the camera obscure. Centuries ago, the ancient Greeks discovered that if there was a small hole in the wall, an upside-down image would appear on the opposite wall of a darkened room. This phenomena fascinated scientists and artist alike, and through the centuries, the idea was perfected. Although we now have very sophisticated technology to record images, the beauty and simplicity of the camera obscure has captured the attention of modern photographers. Due to the large size of the imagery (usually an entire room), a camera is used to capture the image. The darkness of the room requires an extremely long exposure time, typically lasting several hours.
To see some exciting camera obscure photography, please click on the button below. You will be directed to the website of Abelardo Morell, a word-renown photographer who specializes in this medium.
Pin-Hole Camera
The Pin-hole camera is a smaller, more compact and portable camera obscura. Unlike it's larger cousin, the "PHC" relies on photographic paper to record and capture images. In Photography 1, the PHC starts life as a Pringles can, bread crumb can, or any other round cardboard container. With careful modifications, This seemingly ordinary object is transformed into a working camera! The black & white images are examples taken by students with their school-made PHCs.
|