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The Camera Obscura
Camera Obscura (Latin for "Dark Chamber"), also referred to as pinhole image, is the natural optical phenomenon that occurs when an image of a scene at the other side of a screen is projected through a small hole in that screen as a reversed and inverted image on a surface opposite to the opening. While not necessarily a picture, this bending of light would be used to develop future photography. -
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Photographer as a Career
Photographer when broken down, is greek for "drawing with light". This career requires patients and some study in composition. You only need a high school diploma at a minimum. You can work for a specific company, or free lance for a wedding and other events, to provide quality images. -
The First Photograph
Photography, as we know it in the modern sense, began in the late 1830s in France. Joseph Nicéphore Niépce used a portable camera obscura to expose a pewter plate coated with bitumen to light. This is the first recorded image that did not fade quickly. Niépce's success led to a number of other experiments and photography progressed very rapidly. -
Dry Plates
Richard Maddox improved on a previous invention to make dry gelatine plates that were nearly equal to wet plates in speed and quality. These dry plates could be stored rather than made as needed. This allowed photographers much more freedom in taking photographs. The process also allowed for smaller cameras that could be hand-held. As exposure times decreased, the first camera with a mechanical shutter was developed. It would only be a matter of time before anyone could own a camera. -
Photography's Spread
Photography was only for professionals and the very rich, until George Eastman started a company called Kodak in the 1880s.
Eastman created a flexible roll film that did not require constantly changing the solid plates. This allowed him to develop a self-contained box camera that held 100 film exposures. The camera had a small single lens with no focusing adjustment.
This was the first camera inexpensive enough for the average person to afford. -
Historical Impact Of Photography
Around 1930, Henri-Cartier Bresson and other photographers began to use small 35mm cameras to capture images of life as it occurred rather than staged portraits. When World War II started in 1939, many photojournalists adopted this style. The posed portraits of World War I soldiers gave way to graphic images of war and its aftermath. Images such as Joel Rosenthal's photograph, Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, would create pride in American citizens who assisted in the war. -
Instant Film
During this time, Polaroids became publicly available. The novelty of instantly generated pictures, (at a higher cost) would capture many willing consumers. After there first year, prices would be dropped lower, making them even more accessible to the public. -
The Smart Camera
In the late 1970s, compact cameras that were capable of making image control decisions on their own were introduced. These "point and shoot" cameras calculated shutter speed, aperture, and focus, leaving photographers free to concentrate on composition. This more causal approach to photos was appreciated by more average users, while serious photographers preferred the customized choice freedom made by SLR cameras. -
The Digital Camera
In the 1990s, numerous manufacturers worked on cameras that stored images electronically. The first of these were point-and-shoot cameras that used digital media instead of film. By 1991, Kodak had produced the first digital camera that was advanced enough to be used successfully by professionals. Other manufacturers quickly followed and today Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and other manufacturers offer advanced digital SLR cameras.
