Podcast
Questions and Answers
Who was the 11th Century Arab mathematician who recorded experiments with optics that led to the development of the camera obscura?
Who was the 11th Century Arab mathematician who recorded experiments with optics that led to the development of the camera obscura?
Alhazen
Camera Obscura is a Latin phrase meaning____________________________.
Camera Obscura is a Latin phrase meaning____________________________.
Darkened room
Who was the 19th Century French scientist who first captured a photographic image by coating a copper plate with a light-sensitive silver iodide solution?
Who was the 19th Century French scientist who first captured a photographic image by coating a copper plate with a light-sensitive silver iodide solution?
Louis Daguerre
What camera, that forever changed photography, did George Eastman invent?
What camera, that forever changed photography, did George Eastman invent?
What technology was invented around 1900 that allowed photographs to be reproduced in newspapers?
What technology was invented around 1900 that allowed photographs to be reproduced in newspapers?
How do we characterize documentary photography?
How do we characterize documentary photography?
What do photojournalists generally document?
What do photojournalists generally document?
Who was the American photographer who started the Pictorialist movement in the early 20th C?
Who was the American photographer who started the Pictorialist movement in the early 20th C?
Who was the American photographer, famous for his 20th Century landscape images of the American West, whose work represents 'pure photography'?
Who was the American photographer, famous for his 20th Century landscape images of the American West, whose work represents 'pure photography'?
Which of the following was a notable convention of 'Serious' or 'Art' photography prior to the 1960s?
Which of the following was a notable convention of 'Serious' or 'Art' photography prior to the 1960s?
What does the term SLR stand for when referencing camera types?
What does the term SLR stand for when referencing camera types?
What shooting variables do you have control over when you're shooting in Manual Mode?
What shooting variables do you have control over when you're shooting in Manual Mode?
What is the term that describes the amount of the image that's in focus?
What is the term that describes the amount of the image that's in focus?
What does perspective mean in photography?
What does perspective mean in photography?
What is the term, in photography, that describes changes in tones or values and/or differences in colors?
What is the term, in photography, that describes changes in tones or values and/or differences in colors?
What is the term for the placement or arrangements of visual elements within a work of art?
What is the term for the placement or arrangements of visual elements within a work of art?
What do we refer to as the relationship between shapes and the background in an image?
What do we refer to as the relationship between shapes and the background in an image?
Which of the following describes a type of movement captured by photography?
Which of the following describes a type of movement captured by photography?
What 'rule' in photography relies on an imaginary, even grid to compose an image?
What 'rule' in photography relies on an imaginary, even grid to compose an image?
What mathematical and photographic rule both describes how all of the natural world is organized and helps photographers organize their composition?
What mathematical and photographic rule both describes how all of the natural world is organized and helps photographers organize their composition?
Which of the following characterized social documentary photography at the beginning of the 20th Century?
Which of the following characterized social documentary photography at the beginning of the 20th Century?
Who published the book How the Other Half Lives, becoming a famous documentarian in the process?
Who published the book How the Other Half Lives, becoming a famous documentarian in the process?
In the 1920s and 1930s, what was considered a new approach to photographing human subjects that didn't exploit them, but instead allowed for individual expression, human qualities, and idiosyncrasies in a natural and tender way?
In the 1920s and 1930s, what was considered a new approach to photographing human subjects that didn't exploit them, but instead allowed for individual expression, human qualities, and idiosyncrasies in a natural and tender way?
What was the name of the seminal 1955 photography exhibition at MOMA, curated by Ed Steichen and meant to document the universality of human experience and 'the gamut of life from birth to death'?
What was the name of the seminal 1955 photography exhibition at MOMA, curated by Ed Steichen and meant to document the universality of human experience and 'the gamut of life from birth to death'?
Which photographer famously captured the Allied landing at Normandy on D-Day?
Which photographer famously captured the Allied landing at Normandy on D-Day?
Who is a flaneur?
Who is a flaneur?
The Decisive Moment was the seminal survey of which photographer's work?
The Decisive Moment was the seminal survey of which photographer's work?
Who published The Americans as a direct challenge to Edward Steichen and modernist documentary practice and ideology?
Who published The Americans as a direct challenge to Edward Steichen and modernist documentary practice and ideology?
Which photographer became famous in the 1970s for evolving an influential visual language of urban 'social landscape'?
Which photographer became famous in the 1970s for evolving an influential visual language of urban 'social landscape'?
What photographic cooperative—that is still active today—was founded in 1947 by a group of notable photographers loosely based around Paris in the aftermath of World War II?
What photographic cooperative—that is still active today—was founded in 1947 by a group of notable photographers loosely based around Paris in the aftermath of World War II?
In what decade did Europe's earliest portrait studios open?
In what decade did Europe's earliest portrait studios open?
Throughout the history of photography, how have portrait photographers used portraits?
Throughout the history of photography, how have portrait photographers used portraits?
Which of the following is a 'type' of portraiture?
Which of the following is a 'type' of portraiture?
Which British photographer—who eventually became known for portraits of contemporary celebrities—used soft focus and painterly effects to make their photographs expressive?
Which British photographer—who eventually became known for portraits of contemporary celebrities—used soft focus and painterly effects to make their photographs expressive?
What is the name of the journal first published by Alfred Stieglitz in 1903?
What is the name of the journal first published by Alfred Stieglitz in 1903?
What became a popular studio portrait convention in the 1940s and 1950s as Henry Luce popularized the personal profile in Life magazine?
What became a popular studio portrait convention in the 1940s and 1950s as Henry Luce popularized the personal profile in Life magazine?
Which modernist photographer became noted as one of the first to pose his subjects against a simple white or grey background—eliminating any background information or context?
Which modernist photographer became noted as one of the first to pose his subjects against a simple white or grey background—eliminating any background information or context?
Which modernist photographer was famous for his series The American West (1979) in addition to a huge fashion and celebrity portfolio?
Which modernist photographer was famous for his series The American West (1979) in addition to a huge fashion and celebrity portfolio?
Which photographer was born in Hazard, KY and is known for his portraits of Appalachian life?
Which photographer was born in Hazard, KY and is known for his portraits of Appalachian life?
Which contemporary German photographer is known for creating composite portraits?
Which contemporary German photographer is known for creating composite portraits?
What is the term for the philosophy of beauty?
What is the term for the philosophy of beauty?
Which of these is a definition of Modernism in art?
Which of these is a definition of Modernism in art?
What approach to photography, which called for sharp focus and unvarnished style and a way of taking pictures true to the qualities of the medium itself—free of embellishment—did Alfred Stieglitz advocate for by 1917?
What approach to photography, which called for sharp focus and unvarnished style and a way of taking pictures true to the qualities of the medium itself—free of embellishment—did Alfred Stieglitz advocate for by 1917?
Who was a student of the Bauhaus who argued for the 'objective vision' of the artist?
Who was a student of the Bauhaus who argued for the 'objective vision' of the artist?
Who was the American photographer and theorist most responsible for opening up the evocative and metaphorical possibilities of photography after the 1940s?
Who was the American photographer and theorist most responsible for opening up the evocative and metaphorical possibilities of photography after the 1940s?
German critic Walter Benjamin discussed 'the optic unconscious' in what seminal 1936 book?
German critic Walter Benjamin discussed 'the optic unconscious' in what seminal 1936 book?
How do we categorize Conceptual Photography?
How do we categorize Conceptual Photography?
Which of the following is an element of narrative structure?
Which of the following is an element of narrative structure?
What is the name given to a group of artists that includes Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, and Laurie Simmons that had a seminal 2009 show at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art?
What is the name given to a group of artists that includes Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, and Laurie Simmons that had a seminal 2009 show at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art?
Which of the following is an element that contemporary narrative photography borrows from film?
Which of the following is an element that contemporary narrative photography borrows from film?
Study Notes
Historical Figures in Photography
- Alhazen was an 11th Century Arab mathematician known for experiments with optics that contributed to the camera obscura development.
- Louis Daguerre, a 19th Century French scientist, is credited with the first photographic image capturing technique using a copper plate with silver iodide.
- Alfred Stieglitz initiated the Pictorialist movement in early 20th Century photography.
- Ansel Adams is renowned for his landscape photography of the American West, epitomizing "pure photography."
- Robert Capa is famous for capturing the D-Day landing at Normandy.
Photography Equipment and Techniques
- Camera Obscura translates to "darkened room," an early optical device essential to understanding photography.
- George Eastman invented the Kodak camera, revolutionizing photographic accessibility.
- SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex, a camera type known for versatility.
- Manual Mode allows photographers to control exposure variables like aperture and shutter speed.
- Depth of field describes the focus range in an image.
Artistic Concepts in Photography
- Composition refers to the arrangement of visual elements within a photo.
- Contrast addresses the differences in tones or colors in an image.
- The rule of thirds is a compositional guideline that divides an image into thirds for balanced framing.
- The golden spiral is a mathematical guideline that helps organize photographic compositions naturally.
- Figure/Ground relationship defines how shapes interact with the background.
Movements and Styles in Photography
- The Documentary Style emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, emphasizing genuine human expression without exploitation.
- Magnum Photos, a photographic cooperative founded in 1947, focuses on documentary and artistic photography.
- Lee Friedlander gained fame in the 1970s for his urban "social landscape" photography.
- The Family of Man exhibition at MOMA in 1955, curated by Ed Steichen, sought to portray universal human experiences.
Influential Photographers and Works
- Jacob Riis authored "How the Other Half Lives," becoming a pivotal documentarian.
- Robert Frank challenged modernist documentary practices with his book "The Americans."
- Julia Margaret Cameron was known for her soft-focus portraits of contemporary celebrities.
- Irving Penn became noted for his minimalistic backgrounds in portraiture.
Modern and Conceptual Photography
- Contemporary narrative photography borrows elements from film, enhancing storytelling in visual art.
- The Pictures Generation refers to a group of influential artists, including Cindy Sherman and Barbara Kruger, whose 2009 exhibition marked a significant moment in conceptual art.
- Minor White significantly influenced the metaphorical potential of photography post-1940s.
Theoretical Frameworks
- Aesthetics is the philosophy concerned with beauty in art.
- Purism, advocated by Alfred Stieglitz by 1917, promotes stark realism and clarity in photography, free from embellishment.
- Walter Benjamin's book, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," discusses concepts like the "optic unconscious" in photography.
Summary of Types and Techniques
- Different types of portraiture exist, with portrait photographers employing various techniques throughout photography's history.
- The 1840s marked the opening of Europe's earliest portrait studios.
- Headshots became a popular convention during the 1940s and 1950s, particularly influenced by Life magazine's profiles.
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Description
Test your knowledge on key figures and concepts in the history of optics and photography. This quiz covers important contributors like Alhazen and the evolution of the camera obscura. Dive into the fascinating world where science meets art!
