School: Primary school Preska, Medvode

Resource project: Eye and camera obscura

Physic and Astronomy

Author: Živa Oseli- 8th class

Mentor: Tatjana Gulič

Abstract: Eye and camera obscura

  Auto portrait

Human eye is one of the most important organs in human body. We rely on its functionality every day, as it allows us to sense the surroundings. The surroundings are represented in human brain as a picture using all possible colors with depth of view. In the scope of the research, I wanted to broaden the knowledge of the eye functionality, to understand how light is making possible for us to see and to draw some similarities with the camera.

In the first part of the research paper the eye structure and functionality is described with the emphasis on the lens importance and functionality. The second part of the paper gives a chronological overview of the photography developments, starting with the ancient Greeks and progressing further to the modern photo cameras and methods. The developments and importance of the simplest form of the photo camera, black camera or camera obscura, are outlined. The last part of the research paper presents the functionality of the camera obscura and draw the most important similarities with the human eye. Further some notes on designing such a camera at home are presented, as three different obscuras were designed, built and tested. This resulted in several home made photos, that were developed and processed in the primitive home built dark room. These photos clearly show, that the human eye and the camera obscura share common physical background. As a final conclusion I can state, that the human eye functionality is very similar to the functionality of the camera obscura. Both share the focal length and angle of view characteristics while at the same time both see the world in upside down and left to right fashion. The eye and the obscura also use exactly the same method of the incoming light regulation. The opening and closing of the diaphragm allow us and the camera to instantly adjust to the light conditions. Regarding these statements we can say that eyes are nothing more or less than very sophisticated and perfectly developed camera obscuras.

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