This week's PhotoChallenge.org mission is to take a macro shot of a camera. This is challenge is very meta. The only old camera we had at home was a Cybershot pink-red camera that just wasn't very interesting to me. I looked up in the library at home and realized I might have a slightly cheaty option instead. My cheat is a stereoscope--the precursor to the ViewMaster that many of us grew up using as a toy. There are photo pairs on firm card stock that the stereoscope helps the eyes to view as a three dimensional image. This type was invented by Oliver Wendell Holmes in 1861, but I don't know exactly when my particular piece was crafted. My mother-in-law gave this too us, along with several of the photo cards for it, and as an amateur photographer I find this amazing! Back in the 1800's or even early 1900's people could see "lifelike" images from all over the world in their own homes.
This is a macro shot of the stamp in the metal on top of the viewer.
I did take this with my macro lens, though the shot isn't strictly macro at this point. I wanted people to be able to see the stereoscope a bit more. Just a little side light from my window in the afternoon.
