Take a look at PMA's Camera Obscura, which projects the front area of the Schwartz Center to their classroom! This remarkable device was constructed by PMA Lecturer Doorim Kim and Media Assistant Randy Hendrickson specifically for the PMA 3580 Cinematography and Visual Storytelling course.
Doorim Kim described the project as follows: “To bring the concept of camera mechanics to life, students embarked on an intriguing project. They transformed their classroom into a colossal camera body, blocking out all external light sources with heavy drapes to create the perfect darkroom environment. A small hole was meticulously crafted in one of the window coverings, simulating the aperture of a camera. Through this creative project, students gained a deeper understanding of camera principles. By turning their classroom into a camera body and engaging in practical experiments, they connected theoretical knowledge with tangible experiences. This unique approach not only demystified the workings of a camera but also kindled students' inspiration for future projects.”
Randy Hendrickson explained the functioning of the Camera Obscura as follows: “At any given time, light (photons or waves) are reflecting off of every lit surface in a given scene and striking and illuminating other surfaces. To our eyes, this confusion of multi directional reflected light just looks like… light. When we limit the angle of approach of light reflected from a scene by aiming this confusion of unfocussed light through a small hole in a plate, we end up with a smaller and dimmer group of light waves that share a common source and direction of travel from the reflecting scene.”
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