Photography

 History of Photography and Related Concepts

    As a graphic designer, I have always been fascinated by photography and its uses in the field. Group 2 presented on several media technologies that changed society, including photography. I was so intrigued and surprised by some of the history and facts that were presented. First, the earliest evidence of camera theory was invented between 492 - 432 BCE which is incredible and almost unbelievable. The Ancient Greeks used the pinhole projection and camera obscura to study light. Fast-forward to the 17th century, the first images were preserved by light sensitive materials. Thomas Wedgwood manipulated light to capture images and portraits on nitrate of silver and glass. However, he was unable to preserve these images in a fixed medium. Following these experiments, Daguerrotype used light exposure to create images in mere minutes and the image could be maintained through sodium treatments in 1839. 

A Lesson in the Camera Obscura

https://www.art-critique.com/en/2020/03/a-lesson-on-the-camera-obscura/

The First Image

    Rather than today's photography which is digitally produced, these people in history all played with the result of combining manipulated light and chemicals to produce an image byproduct. The first image was captured at a Le Gras window in 1826 by Nicephore Niepce. He captured the image with a camera obscura that was "focused onto a sheet of 20 x 25 cm oil-treated bitumen" (We Are Raw, 2019).  Essentially, he "put a metal plate covered with a chemical called bitumen into a camera box." As a result, the "bitumen hardened on the parts of the plate exposed to the sun" and "when the plates was washed, a permanent picture remained" (We Are Raw, 2019). This entire process took 8 hours!!! Below is the image that was captured, INCREDIBLE!

View from the window at Le Gras - 1827

http://100photos.time.com/photos/joseph-niepce-first-photograph-window-le-gras

Current Day Uses

    Today, photography is used mostly for artistic, historical and educational purposes. Since its invention, cameras have been able to capture moments of time to preserve historical events, and we still use them for this purpose today. Also, it can be used to document physical evidence in criminal cases. However, as a result of modern culture, photography has morphed into a more personal declaration of vanity and individualism. On social media, individuals might post pictures of themselves to convey only snapshots in time of themselves at their prime. This can lead to comparison between individuals leading to conformity. Most notably, the camera has created the discussion of privacy violations. For example, Jennifer Aniston was involved in a case with the paparazzi after they photographed her in her backyard from the street. The court ruled that they invaded her privacy using an electronic device even though they were on a public street (Winton, 2005). Interesting, right? 

   

 

Sources

https://wearerawphotography.com/photography-basics/worlds-first-photograph/

http://www.photographyhistoryfacts.com/photography-inventors/thomas-wedgwood/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-dec-06-me-jennifer6-story.html