A ballet Camera Obscura based on the novel by Vladimir Nabokov became the tenth staging in Yury Smekalov’s career. Like many of his previous works, this ballet was first presented at the Mariinsky Theatre and entered its repertoire. The choreographer has organized the half-hour Camera Obscura according to the laws of a large drama ballet performance. The plot is easy to narrate and has one storyline, there are only four main characters and the corps de ballet as a separate character. Alexander Maev who composed the original music of the ballet and costume designer Elissey Shepelyov became co-authors of Camera Obscura. 

The main role of Bruno Krechmar was given to the Mariinsky Theatre premiere Vladimir Shklyarov, the first performer of Smekalov's ballets Parting and Requiem for Narcissus. Today Camera Obscura has become one of the flagship works in a genre of drama ballet reappearing in Russia.