Hi all,
I am an amateur Photographer in Willimantic CT. At the moment and for the past 2 years or so I have been shooting 8x10 film exclusively. On occasion I turn my bathroom into a Camera Obscura with a pinhole for a lens. I have seen photographs where rooms have been turned into a Camera Obscura than photographed as in the book Camera Obscura by artist Abelardo Morell. His book is the inspiration for my project. Abelardo Morell intermingled cityscapes with office space or someone’s bedroom; it was interesting to see how the two spaces could co-exist.
Back to where I live. Willimantic CT (also dubbed Heroin capital of CT) is a small city in eastern CT with a relatively boring Main street, except for every third Thursday during the summer, where Main st. comes alive. Hundreds of people of different cultures and ethnicities come out to play. Music (there are 4-5 stages each with different music), Food (everything from Falafel to Kielbasa), crafts (pottery, textiles). This is also a big night for the Gallery on Main st "Windham Arts Center". WAC usually features Local artists during the Third Thursday Party. To put all this into perspective I live in a 2nd story walk up overlooking Main st. Since I have moved here I have been trying to find a location that would optimize the Third Thursday experience on film. ( willimanticstreetfest.com )
Finally, one day after chatting with my neighbor about all the projects I am working on, something dawned on me. I should do an interactive Camera Obscura Exhibit at WAC on Third Thursday. 1) I could build the Camera in the front room of the gallery overlooking Main st. Making sure there was a provision that kept the room light tight (double curtains for walking through). 2) I would set up my camera in the corner. 3) Let people wander through the camera and visualize what it is like to be inside of a camera. 4) Take photos of what is being projected (upside down and backwards) from the party outside, and the people wandering through the exhibit.
I Proposed the idea to the gallery and have gotten really good response and will probably set it up for Aug next year.
I am posting this to get Ideas and to see what people think. Also if anyone has any resources for a project like this let me know.
Thank you for reading my rambles
Tim
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