Working of pinhole camera

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Book, camera, and old-school photography manual get wrapped up into one with artist Kelli Anderson 's latest project, This Book Is a Camera. Self-published with the help of the Adobe Creative Residency, Anderson's photographic chimera looks like a normal how-to guide on the outside, but has a working camera, hidden using time-tested pop-up technology, within its pages. It works on the same principles of the camera obscura every fourth grader inevitably makes in science class, but comes with actual film, a lightproof bag, and foolproof development instructions that range from DIYing to paying someone else to do it. It also comes, Anderson remarks on her website, with "a satisfying demonstration of the connection between design and science / structures and functions."

In a time when sophisticated camera phones are more common than watches, the simple joy of creating something with nothing but your hands and some science is priceless. Anderson's book, on the other hand, is optimally gift-priced at $29 a pop. Order here, and check out how This Book Is a Camera works below.