Online Photography Resources
A Snapshot of Photography’s History
Greek philosopher Aristotle made an observation that when the sun shined through an opening that was square, the projected image was round. This goes back to about 330 B.C., and it became the fundamental beginnings of what evolved hundreds of years later into the world’s first camera – the “camera obscura,” which means dark room. On one side of a room was a hole through which light passed, and projected an upside-down image, which was then traced onto paper. As the hole is made smaller, the sharpness of the image increases but grows dimmer.
Historical info on Camera Obscura
More examples of Camera Obscura
Years later came the “pinhole camera,” which operated along the same lines as the camera obscura, but rather than a small room, the camera became a small box and was thus, portable. The pinhole camera would record the image at which it was pointed, but the amount of time needed to expose light-sensitive material within it was significant due to the amount of light allowed in through a hole the size of what might be made by the point of a pin.
In time, cameras employed mirrors so that projected images were right-side up. By incorporating lenses, images became brighter and sharper, and the size of the image could be altered.
More information on the history of cameras and photography can be found at these sites:
Explanation of the Pinhole Camera
The Concept of the Pinhole Camera
Biographies of Pillars in Early Photography
First Photos
Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce experimented with photography beginning in 1816. He put transparent engravings onto glass plates covered with his own lacquer mixture that was sensitive to light.
Several years later, in 1826, out the window of his home, Niépce pointed a camera obscura; inside it was a pewter plate that he coated with a lacquer derived from petroleum. For eight hours, the plate was exposed to light. He rinsed the plate with a solution of lavender oil and petroleum, and what remained was an image formed by bits of solution that had been hardened by the light. This first photograph – a direct positive on pewter - was a view of the landscape from a second-floor window in Niépce’s home.
Niépce traveled to England in 1827 and tried, unsuccessfully, to spark interest from the Royal Society in his discovery. He later partnered with Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, a French artist, but little came from the partnership and Niépce died in 1833. He left behind contributions that were almost entirely unrecognized, as the first photo print process is on record as the daguerreotype, named for Niépce’s partner.
Photo Print Processes
The daguerreotype process results in a positive image created on a copper plate coated with silver, which produces a mirror-like surface that holds the image. The image, however, can smudge and even be wiped away. For the image to be displayed accurately, the plate must be tilted and turned so that light hits it just perfectly.
Van Dyke (spellings vary) is a process that produces prints of a brownish color, similar to a brown-colored paint named for famous oil painter Sir Anthony Van Dyke. In this process, the size of the negative must match the desired size of the print. The negative rests on paper, glass, metal or tile coated with emulsion and dried completely, and clear glass is placed on top. An ultraviolet light bulb can create the exposure, which should be continuous until the desired tone is achieved.
In time, all photography evolved into black and white, also referred to as monochrome. Even after color prints were introduced, black and white remained the predominant print process for many years because it was comparatively inexpensive. But not all monochromatic photos are black and white. One particular process can produce prints of varying tones of blue rather than black, and other processes have other results.
More information on photographic processes can be found by visiting these sites:
Close-up of Albumen Photo Printing
Explanation of Bichromate Photo Prints
Descriptions of Numerous Photo Processes
Color photography
In about the middle-19th century, experimentation in color printing began. Very long exposures were required, and when color prints were exposed to white light, fading was common. Then in 1855, scientist James Clerk Maxwell introduced his idea of separating black and white photos into three colors. He took a single black and white shot three times: through one red, one green, and one blue filter. As early photographers discovered their printing materials were not very sensitive to greens, and almost completely insensitive to reds, improvements in emulsions created greater sensitivity to both greens and reds, more color permanence, and shorter exposure times.
Digital Photography
The digital revolution began with the Mavica digital still camera made in 1981 by Sony Corporation. It captured and stored magnetic impulses on a floppy disk with a pair of CCD, or charge-coupled device, chips which resulted in images of 720,000 pixels, and as many as 25 images per disk. But the Mavica was bulky. In 1986, Kodak introduced a sensor that recorded just short of one-half million pixels, 1.4 million to be exact, capable of producing a 5×7 print. Just a few years later, Kodak created the compact-disk photo system, proposed as the standard in color definition. In 1991, the company released its DCS (digital camera system) which was marketed to media photographers.
Digital cameras became progressively smaller and with increased storage capacity. Today, cameras in a variety of sizes and shapes are available.
Amateur Photography
Many movements materialized in the mid-1800s, including amateur photography. People who took pictures simply for their own enjoyment were considered amateur photographers. Many with this common interest organized groups and clubs, some that date as far back as the 1840s. While professionals answered to their clients, amateur photographers followed their own interests, and fostered the growth of photographic retailers which increased accessibility and also increased affordability of materials.
Commercial Photography
When a photographer receives payment for images, this best defines commercial photography. In advertising, photos are created to sell a product or service, and often, a design or advertising firm is used for such purposes. A magazine will assign editorial photos to illustrate a concept or story. Fashion photography incorporates models to accentuate and sell clothing and other products, while a model’s face or body is the emphasis in glamour photos.
Can Photographs Also Be Art?
Some photographers have tried to produce certain styles of painting with photos (pictorialism) – a romantic look that is created with a soft-focus filter, for instance. Famous painters have stated that photography is simply an image, reproduced mechanically. Some photographers, including Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, advocated that a crisply-focused photograph, in and of itself, is not an imitation of some other thing. Can photographs also be art? The question is continuously debated. A painting that is determined to be “art” is in some way beautiful in the eye of the viewer. Regarding photography, where its “beauty” lies is what some say needs to be redefined.
Other Types of Photography
A component of police investigations, including accidents, murders, robberies, and others is forensic photography or law enforcement photography. A black and white or infrared camera is often used to capture certain details and block out others that are unnecessary.
In medicine, physicians use endoscopic instruments with cameras to explore and magnify internal areas of the body such as the esophagus, colon, or gastrointestinal tract, and to assist in surgical procedures.
Time-lapse photography is used often in astronomy, to show changes in the sky that occur slowly. It is also used to create effects, such as night-time vehicle movement, or to create motion “streams.”
See these sites on these and other types of photography:
Many colleges and universities offer certificate and degree programs in photography.
View a list of schools that offer Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree programs, certificate programs, and even on-line programs in photography. Look for a list of on-line photography schools, or browse and request information from schools of interest, or in addition to schools within the US, consider schools around the world.
For more information about careers in the field of photography, visit these sites:
What is it like to be a Photographer?
Check out a college degree program in Photography
See What it Takes to Become a Photojournalist
For additional resources on photography history, photographic processes, and more, see these sites:
A Wide-angle View of Photography, Panoramic-Style