Commercial Photography 1 Evolution of Photography.pdf

COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY 1 Evolution of Photography Early Concepts 400 B.C. - Camera Obscura: Ancient philosophers like Mozi and Aristotle describe a pinhole image formation, laying the groundwork for the camera. Conceptual descriptions of this camera can be found in Chinese texts...

COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY 1 Evolution of Photography Early Concepts 400 B.C. - Camera Obscura: Ancient philosophers like Mozi and Aristotle describe a pinhole image formation, laying the groundwork for the camera. Conceptual descriptions of this camera can be found in Chinese texts dating back to 400 B.C. and in Aristotle’s writings around 330 B.C. A camera obscura doesn’t take pictures, instead it focuses light through a lens or a small hole and projects onto a screen. 1500- Pinhole cameras are similar to camera obscuras. The difference is pinhole cameras don’t have a lens. These devices paved the way for photography, movie cameras and projectors. 19th Century Innovations 1826 - First Photograph: Joseph Nicéphore Niépce captures the first permanent image using a process named heliography. He used the camera obscura and used a chemical called silver chloride to capture a permanent image but he didn’t realize he was actually capturing the negative image of a picture. Not liking how it looked he started experimenting with Bitumen of Judea, an asphalt substance that would harden when exposed to sunlight. He started to use Lavender oil as a solvent that created a xerox process or copying process. 1839 - Daguerreotype: Louis Daguerre's method is announced in France, using a silver plate to develop images. Daguerre got the credit only because the other guy(Niepce) died. 1841 - Calotype(BEAUTIFUL IMPRESSION) Process: Introduced by William Henry Fox Talbot, it uses paper coated with silver iodide. Talbot created the first photography negative; this was not a drawing; this was an actual picture made by the sun. also known as photogenic drawings. He placed a negative image over another sheet of sensitized paper and exposed them both to the sun. It made a positive image. 1851 - Wet Plate Collodion: Frederick Scott Archer creates this process, allowing for sharper images and reproducibility. This process allowed photographers to produce detailed images on paper that could be printed in an unlimited amount of copies. These key features were improvements from the two pass methods the daguerreotype and the calotype. From 1851-1880 the wet plate collodion process was the dominant process for making photographs across Europe and North America. The production of a wet image had to be done quickly and efficiently. This is because the chemical being used collodion dries quickly and it will lose its sensitivity after about 10 minutes. Portable dark rooms would be used so the plate could be developed  immediately after it was shot. This process was free to the public. 1888 - Kodak Camera: George Eastman introduced the Kodak box camera, heralding user-friendly photography with the slogan "You press the button, we do the rest." George was motivated to make a camera for the common person because he knew many had no knowledge of the chemicals or the money to buy the expensive supplies. Eastman was a school drop and self taught chemist he hired Henry Reichenbach who was a young chemist that helped him invent the paper film that went on a role holder that could fit on all cameras on the market. Even though Eastman and Reichenbach received many awards for their invention it still didn't hold up among the community of professional photographers who preferred the dry plate method because that method gave a better image quality. But this didn’t bring Eastman down; he decided to make a camera that was affordable for all the people he figured that people would buy it even if the quality of the pictures wasn’t good because who didn’t want to own their own cameras.($25 and made 100 photos you sent it back to kodak and they would refill it with paper for $10) 20th Century Developments 1900 - Brownie Camera: Eastman Kodak introduces the Brownie, making photography accessible to the general public. Born on February 8,1900. This camera was so easy to use that even a child could use it. If fact that is the audience they advertise it for the cost was $1. The Rochester plant produced 5,000 brownies and they sold out. They couldn’t keep them in stock. Kodak ended up producing 100 different models up until the 1980’s 1930s - 35mm Film: This format gains popularity, especially with the iconic Leica cameras. The Leica camera used the 35mm film that was used for movies. Although this film wasn’t very good for recording tones. Oscar Barnck designed a prototype of the Leica in 1913 it wasn’t the first camera to use this film. It wasn’t until 10 years later that the Leica camera was released to the public using this film that over time the 35mm film improved dramatically. In 1932 the Leica II came out. The name Leica comes from Leitz Camera. 1948 - Polaroid Instant Camera: The first instant camera developed by Edwin Land allows photos to be developed immediately after exposure. The idea of creating such a photo was inspired by his daughter while they were walking and he stopped to take a picture and she asked “Daddy why can I see the picture right away”. That was in 1943. He figured out a way to develop both the negative and positive image in one minute and produce a dry stabilized print. Polaroid launched the land camera model 95 and polaroid type 40 film on Black Friday November 26, 1948 at the Jordan Marsh Department store in Boston.(Cost was $89.75  or about $500 today) it sold out. 1950 - Color Photography: Becomes commercially viable with Kodak's Kodachrome films. This film was known for its vivid colors and sharp detail. It was the first mass marketed color film to use a subtractive color method. Subtractive Color Method: The process begins with white, which is the full spectrum of colors with different wavelengths, and then colorants like pigments, dyes, or inks are added. These colorants absorb some wavelengths of light and reflect others, creating the perception of color. It was available in a variety of formats still and motion picture cameras. 1984 - Digital Revolution Begins: Scientists build the early prototypes for digital cameras, starting a shift from film. This new way of photography allowed photographers to store pictures on computers and gave them the tools to manipulate photos into art. The popularity of editing programs grew and this also enabled artists to create animation and motion control and audio editing created a dynamic environment in which photography became a tool for creating multimedia experiences. Toward the end of the century journalists started using digital cameras because they could be transferred and processed immediately. Digital photography now falls under the category of modern art, commercial photography and online digital communication. Digital Age 1991 - First Professional Digital Camera: Kodak releases a digital camera aimed at press photographers, changing news photography. It was a camera equipped by Kodak with a 1.3 megapixel sensor This was the first commercially available digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. This camera was meant to improve the speed at which photos could be sent to newsrooms and studios. The DCS also had a separate shoulder-mounted processing and storage unit with a 200 megabyte capacity and a small screen for viewing photos. 2000 - Camera Phones: The Sharp J-SH04, the first commercial camera phone, launches in Japan. This phone launched in November 2000 it was a back facing camera. 2010s - Rise of Social Media: Platforms like Instagram change how photos are shared and viewed, emphasizing digital images.  2018 - Computational Photography: Sophisticated algorithms in smartphones enhance photos, bringing DSLR-like quality to phones. Recent Advancements 2020 - AI in Photography: AI begins playing a significant role in enhancing imagery, from camera features to editing software. 2023 - Innovative Technologies: Advancements continue with mirrorless designs, improved sensor technology, and innovations in photographic techniques.