The World’s First Camera Obscura That You Can Take Selfies With
A photography teacher has created the world's first camera obscura that people can take selfies with by using their smartphone.
Cameras That Changed Photography Forever
I write about a lot of things here at PetaPixel -- reviews, guides, technical articles, opinion pieces -- but one of my favorite topics to write about is the history of photography. As an avid user and collector of vintage cameras and lenses, I have passionately absorbed as much knowledge about their history as possible over many years. Like studying world history, there is much value in understanding where we came from and what got to us where we are now.
Photographer Turns a Paris Apartment into a Giant Camera
French photographer Mathieu Stern is no stranger to taking photos with unusual cameras. However, his latest camera is perhaps his oddest as he turned Paris apartment into a giant camera obscura and captured a beautiful photo of one of the world's most famous sights, the Eiffel Tower.
The World’s Largest Photo Returns Home to California
The world's largest photograph taken on the world's largest camera has returned home to California after being exhibited around the world.
Photographer Turns Barge into a Giant, Floating, Working Camera
Photographer Brendan Barry transformed the Electric Barge into a giant floating camera obscura that not only captures photos but also works as a processing facility thanks to its built-in darkroom.
When Was the Camera Invented?
Modern cameras are complicated pieces of technology but in the camera's earliest form, the concepts that led to its invention were formed in the most basic manner, simply the interplay of light, reflection, and shadow. Since our earliest history is unrecorded, we'll never know the exact date some of these techniques were first discovered and who deserves credit for any undocumented observations that contributed to this area of study in the distant past.
Empty Apartments Transformed into a Giant Multi-Lens Camera Obscura
United Kingdom-based photographer Brendan Barry used four empty apartments and turned them into a multi-lens camera obscura in order to create massive panoramic prints.
How to Build a Camera Obscura with Craft Store Supplies
If you ever find yourself stuck indoors and in need of a fun and educational project, try building yourself a camera obscura. Here's a 7-minute video by Fotodiox showing how you can put together a small DIY one with ordinary craft store supplies.
This Lens Kit Turns Your Room Into a Right-Side-Up Camera Obscura
Finnish company Bonfoton has launched the BonfotonUP, a new device that allows users to project a camera obscura image right-side-up in contrast to how the visual phenomenon -- projected onto walls -- is traditionally formed upside-down.
Lenbaby Launches New ‘Pinhole-Style’ Obscura Lens
Lensbaby, a company known for making unconventional lenses and unique optics, has announced its latest lens: a three-in-one Pinhole-type optic called The Obscura.
How to Make a Digital Camera Obscura
Camera accessory manufacturer Fotodiox has published a video that explains how to make a digital camera obscura that can be used for both video and photo capture made from a box, a magnifying glass, and frosted plastic.
Photographer Shoots Direct-to-Paper Photos in a Giant Camera Obscura
Photographer Brendan Barry has been shooting 20x24-inch color still-life images directly onto photo paper via a camera obscura using a color reversal process. In this short 3-minute video, you can watch how he does it.
Camera Made of Wood, Brass, and Bone May Be the Oldest Up For Sale
This early experimental "mousetrap" camera constructed out of wood, brass, glass, and bone may be the oldest ever to be sold once it clears auction. Purportedly from around 1840, it is expected to sell for between $65,000 and $91,000.
This Photographer Turned a House into Several ‘Giant Cameras’ and Made Massive Prints
Photographer Brendan Barry—known the world over for turning just about anything you can think of into a functional camera—recently completed one of his most ambitious projects. He turned a room Custom House in Exeter, UK into a giant camera, which he then used to shoot and develop some massive ultra-large format photos.
This Photographer Turned His Front Door Into a Camera to Capture COVID Portraits
Photographer Kyle Roper is no stranger to unique camera creations; he was the producer for the viral Skyscraper Camera Project. But his latest project is a bit smaller and more intimate. Amid the pandemic, he turned his front door into a camera to capture beautiful large-format black-and-white portraits of his neighbors.
Photographers Turn Their Homes Into Cameras to Capture Pandemic Life
Billions of people around the world have had their lives turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Brazilian photographer Bruno Alencastro recently came up with an interesting concept for capturing what life is like during these difficult times. He and other photographers turned their homes into camera obscuras and created portraits in their isolated upside-down worlds.
Make Your Own Film Developer and Fixer Using These Household Items
Last week, photographer Brendan Barry created a timely tutorial on how to turn your bedroom into a giant camera, and use it to take actual pictures. But what if you don't have any photographic chemicals around for developing and fixing those images? Barry's got you covered.
How to Turn Your Bedroom Into a Giant Camera and Use it to Make Pictures
Photographer Brendan Barry has put together a detailed step-by-step tutorial that might help you stay busy while you're stuck inside. In this video, he'll show you how to take and develop photos by turning your bedroom into a camera obscura, and your bathroom into a makeshift darkroom.
Photographer Turns a Skyscraper Into a Giant Camera
Brendan Barry is a UK-based photographer who's known for turning all kinds of unusual things into working cameras, from food and mannequins to shipping containers and camper trailers. But his latest project was his most ambitious yet -- turned a Manhattan skyscraper into a giant camera.
The Bonfoton Lens Helps Turn a Room Into a Giant Camera Obscura
The new Bonfoton Camera Obscura Room Lens is a small lens that helps project the outdoors indoors, turning any room into a giant camera obscura.
Here’s How to Build a Portable Camera Obscura
"Camera obscura" refers to a device for viewing an image that makes use of the principles of pinhole imagery, and is usually made with a box of sorts. It's this that was eventually turned into the first pinhole camera - and now you can make your own!
Photo Professor Turns His Classroom Into a Giant Camera Obscura
A photography professor in Oklahoma recently had an awesome idea for teaching his students about the beginnings of photography: he turned his classroom into a giant camera obscura.
This Photographer Shot Portraits from Inside a Pitch Black Camera Box
It's not every day that you come across a camera that's big enough for the photographer to stand in. But that's what photographer Ross den Otter built for the recent Capture Photography Festival in Vancouver, Canada: he shot portraits from inside a 4x8x8-foot camera obscura.
I Built a DIY Camera Using a Trash Can, Large Format Lens, and Sony a7S II
I recently built a Trash Cam out of a trash can, large format lens, and Sony a7S II. The project was an attempt to find an inexpensive housing for a large format lens.
This Underground Camera Obscura in the English Countryside Seats 5
Installation artist duo Anna Heinrich and Leon Palmer loved the landscape around Hadleigh Country Park in Essex, England so much, they decided to capture it forever through the magic of the Camera Obscura. Thus was born "The Reveal."
The ‘Tri-clops’ is a Wearable Camera Obscura with 3 Eyes on the World
The "Tri-clops," created by pinhole photographer Justin Quinnell," is the world's first multi-screen, wearable camera obscura. The device (and two extra I-scuras, as seen above) will be making the founds at several art and science festivals (e.g. Sidmouth and Green Man) in the UK over the coming months.
The Lumigraphe Lets You Shoot Smartphone Camera Obscura Shots On the Go
If you have ever dreamed of taking photographs through a camera obscura, then we have some great news for you! Former fashion photographer and inventor Valmont Achalme has designed the Lumigraphe, “a camera obscura for your smartphone”. The project is currently on Kickstarter seeking $49,276 with the promise of helping you capture “beautiful effects” starting around $100.
Shooting Portraits with a Giant $10 Room Camera
Photography enthusiasts Diego Veríssimo and Ana Magalhães (seen in the portrait above) recently shot a series of portraits using a gigantic camera they built using a room and about $10 in materials.
‘Steampunk’ DIY Camera Obscura Made with a Flatbed Scanner, Magnifying Glass and Gold Duct Tape
Joe Barone is a recent college grad who enjoys the process as much as the result. Inspired by his love for old objects, knack for tinkering with things and growing up in his parents’ hardware store, Barone brought the camera obscure into the 21st century recently with the help of an old scanner, a magnifying glass and duct tape... well, gold duct tape.
The result is a glorious steampunk-esque contraption that yields some rather impressive images.
This is What Happens When You Close the Drapes on Your At-Home Camera Obscura
Photographer Daniel Tellman is an experimenter, and his ideas often lead to beautiful results. After turning his daughter's room into a giant camera obscura, he decided to have some fun by closing the drapes and turning them into a makeshift projector screen.
He then set up a camera in front of the drapes to capture images of the world outside passing by over the course of a day. The time-lapse video above is a gorgeous compilation of those images.