Download File

Objective 2: History of
Photography
• Photography is evolving at an incredibly fast
rate right now in history. While the actual
technology and practice of taking
photographs is fairly recent in the history of
man, the roots of the photographic image
date back 1000’s of years.
A Brief Look Back:
The origins of photography began centuries ago:
Centuries BCE:
Astronomers from countries such as
China, Greece and Arabia created
camera obscuras which were used to
see the outside world indoors.
When light enters a darkened room
through a pinhole in one of the
walls, it projects an upside-down
image of the world outside onto the
opposite wall. In the photo on the
right (from 1643) the pinhole
projects onto transparent paper
sheets so that artists can draw off
of them.
Camera Obscura Example –
Youtube
Pinhole Camera Creation - Youtube
The Birth of Photography:
• Daguerreotype Photography:
France- 1820’s - Joseph Niepce and Louis Daguerre were given
credit with creating the first “photograph”. The image was
created through a box photo obscura instead of a room photo
obscura and imprinted upon a pewter or copper plate that was
treated with iodine and bromine vapors.
The new image was known
As a “daguerreotype.”
Calotype Photography:
• England – 1840’s - Henry Fox
Talbot creates a “calotype”
negative. Now a photograph
could be made into many
positives. Talbot produced a
negative on paper soaked in light
sensitive silver iodide. From
these he developed a way to
create a positive image on
another piece of paper.
Collodion Photography:
•
England – 1850’s - A few years later, Frederick Scott
Archer creates “Collodion photography” which uses
plates of light sensitive glass instead of awkward metal
plates or flimsy paper negatives. This was an advantage
because the plates were far more light sensitive than the
daguerreotype or calotype photos. This allowed phototaking to be more portable and convenient.
•
•
•
•
Type of photography
Daguerreotype Photo –
Calotype PhotoCollodion Photo-
•
Portraits and group photos still required people to
stand/sit motionless for a long time!
Exposure time
1-8 hours
20 minutes
1-5 minutes
• The Collodion process became the process of choice
from the mid 1800’s to the late 1800’s. Many
Photography studios popped up all over Europe and
the United States. The rich and famous wanted their
photographs as this was a status symbol.
• Photography started to branch out from just
portraiture at this point:
– Historical Photography - The American civil war
(1860’s) was documented through the lens of a
camera. (Dawn of Photojournalism / tragedy of war)
– Landscape Photography dawned for exploration of “the
West”. This was used by explorers and land
speculators. (People could see photos of potential
settlement areas.)
– Documentary Photography – The camera was used to
communicate ideas and persuade people. The
photograph could create evidence. Eg. - Images of
poverty and the struggles of immigrants to America was
documented and used to convince governments to
create more equality for their citizens.
• Technology and The Industrial Revolution
Advances Photography (Late 1800’s / Early
1900’s)
• YouTube - The Industrial Revolution - The
Golden Age of Steam
• -Mass production of cameras (Not just used by
wealthy, professionals and scientists anymore)
• -Late 1800’s – Hand held cameras were
available.
• -The moveable shutter and rapid succession
photography allowed for continuous motion
(Dawn of Movie making!)
• -Invention of film and Photographic paper in 1884
by George Eastman (1st camera that was
developed by a company and not by the
photographer (He named it the Kodak – the
sound the camera shutter made…)
• -
Photographs Becomes a Means of Expression:
• -Early 1900’s
• Cameras were lighter and the shutter speeds
so fast that movement could be “frozen in
time”. The results were tremendous:
– Documentary photography expands and
photographers started to capture the emotions of
life.
– History was becoming more and more visual.
(Words could be distorted but a photo was real.)
Advancements in printing allowed for historical
events to be seen by millions.
– Life Magazine shows up with the 1st true
photojournalism publication.
– Vogue magazine begins fashion influences
through photography.
Mid / Late 1900’s – Current Day:
•
•
•
•
Photographers Ansel Adams and Edward Weston help to develop
exposure, shutter speed and depth of field control, allowing photographers
to pre-visualize certain effects.
Photographs begin a stronger role in adding depth to the expression of
feelings and emotions for news, politicians, and anyone with an opinion they
wish to portray.
Now, photography is used to express information and ideas more than ever.
How has Digital Photography changed the communication tool of a
Photograph?