How to Make a Simple Camera Obscura

Lena and Petya were always curious explorers, and today their interest was in photography. Lena had found an article in a magazine about how to make a photograph using a camera obscura and suggested to Petya that they try making such a camera themselves. A camera obscura is an ancient device that allows you to capture an image on film using just a box and a small hole. For the kids, it was a great opportunity to learn how light works and how the first photographs were made. Petya was thrilled by the idea, and they immediately got to work in their workshop.

“Have you ever heard of a camera obscura?” asked Lena, as she took out a box, film, and scissors. “We’ll use it to make an actual photo, but without complicated technology. This will be the simplest way to take a photo!”

Petya was surprised:

“A camera obscura? That sounds like something from the past! I thought you needed something complicated, like in professional photography studios!”

Lena smiled:

“Actually, a camera obscura is a very simple device that was used even before modern cameras were invented. All we need is a box, a small hole, and film. Light passes through this hole and projects an image onto the film, creating a photograph.”

The kids started gathering the materials. Lena took a large box and cut a small hole in one side. She explained that light would pass through this hole and project the image onto the film placed opposite it.

“We need to cut the hole carefully to make it as even as possible. The smaller the hole, the sharper the image will be, but it still needs to let light through,” explained Lena, carefully cutting a circle.

Petya watched closely as Lena worked. After the hole was cut, they prepared the film. Lena explained that the film should be placed on the opposite side of the box so that the light, passing through the hole, would project the image onto it.

“Now we need to attach the film,” Lena said, as she glued it to the inside of the box, opposite the hole. “When the light passes through the hole, it will leave an image on the film, just like in real photography!”

Once the film was attached, they placed the box in a dark space to prevent additional light from entering. Lena explained that it would take some time to create the photograph since the process of capturing an image takes a while.

“Look, when we point the camera obscura at an object, the light passes through the hole and leaves an image on the film. But we need to wait for the image to appear!” Lena said, as she pointed the box toward the outside world to capture the image.

Petya eagerly watched as the light started to pass through the hole, creating a faint image on the film. He was amazed at how light through such a small hole could create an image of an entire object.

“This is amazing! Look at how light works!” Petya said, as he watched the image gradually become clearer.

After enough time had passed, Lena carefully removed the film from the box and realized that the image had indeed appeared. They had used the film to take a photo of their mini-experiment and were happy with the result. Of course, it wasn't a full-fledged camera photo, but as a first step, it was a great experience!

“There! We made a real photograph with the camera obscura!” Lena said happily, looking at the imprint on the film. “Now we understand how photos work and how light can create an image on the film.”

Petya was thrilled:

“This is so cool! We made a real photo, but without all the complicated tech. The camera obscura is such a simple but amazing device!”

The kids decided that next time, they would try creating even more complex devices for taking photos and explore how they could improve the quality of the images. But their experience with the camera obscura was a perfect first step into the world of photography.

Lena and Petya understood that this was just the beginning of their journey into the world of photography and optics. They promised each other that they would continue building and studying more devices, exploring how cameras, light, and photography work. This project opened up an amazing world of technology and science for them!