Camera Obscura - Giant Pinhole Camera
San Francisco, California
The camera obscura is a very old, pre-photography concept for a seemingly magical box or structure, where outside light reflected through a fixed aperture or pinhole renders an
Camera Obscura - Giant Pinhole Camera
San Francisco, California
The camera obscura is a very old, pre-photography concept for a seemingly magical box or structure, where outside light reflected through a fixed aperture or pinhole renders an upside-down image on a large screen.
San Francisco's Camera Obscura was created as a tourist and theme park entertainment in 1946, part of Playland At The Beach. Playland is gone, but this spectacle in the shape of an upturned snapshot camera continues to operate from its spot just below the Cliff House. Jutting out on a raised plaza overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the 25 by 25 ft. building is topped by a copper pyramid, which contains a rotating mirror that reflects scenic images down onto its parabolic screen. It's ideally positioned for a scene of waves crashing against Seal Rock, with best viewing on a sunny day or at sunset.
The small building can hold about a half-dozen people, and also displays holograms along its inner walls.