Go to the Cliff House restaurant in San Francisco and you can’t miss the giant camera perched on the cliffs–the Camera Obscura. The odd-looking device produces 360 degrees of live images of Seal Rock and surrounding coastal areas on Point Lobos. You can walk inside the Camera Obscura and experience the strange camera-like effects for yourself. Once inside the completely dark room, a guide will turn on the device and give a demonstration.
Basically, it’s a dark room with a small hole in one wall. You’ll see an image in what looks like a large pan or drum in the center of the room. The image will look different depending on the weather and time of day and can be particularly stunning at sunset.
Although people once thought these images were the work of witchcraft or demons, the camera obscura is really a precursor to the present day camera. Light rays pass through the hole to transmit an inverted image of the scene outside. Scientists observed this effect as early as the 5th century in China. Aristotle and Leonardo da Vinci used camera obscuras to view solar eclipses.
The Camera Obscura in San Francisco is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of about 20 existing camera obscuras in the world. Both the camera and Cliff House restaurant are owned by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
WHAT’S THE DEAL: Camera Obscura admission is just $3.
WHERE: just north of Ocean Beach; 1096 Point Lobos Ave, San Francisco, CA; phone: (415) 750-0415.
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