From the first photo being taken 195 years ago, things have come a long way since then.

The first camera ever invented was called the Camera Obscura. It was developed by an Iraqi scientist in the early 11th century. It took 600 years for the Camera Obscura to become portable as it was so large.

The first permanent images were taken in the late 1830s, when Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce used a portable Camera Obscura to expose a pewter plate coated with bitumen to light. His success led to many more experiments being conducted and caused a rapid leap forward in styles of photography.

In the 1880s, when photography was still strictly for professionals and the very wealthy, a man called George Eastman started a company called Kodak. It would be this company that would be responsible for the invention of the Kodak Brownie, the first commercially available camera. Pictures would be taken by the consumer, then when all the film had been used it would be sent back to the factory where the film would be developed and printouts would be made. This is a very similar method to today’s disposable cameras.

World War II was revolutionary for photography. Photos were taken of soldiers in combat and the aftermath of the events. These were publicly displayed for everyone to see. It brought the reality of war to the public eye and shaped the face of photography to the present day.

About a decade after the war ended, instant images began to increase in popularity. This was because a new camera called the Model 95 from Polaroid had just been released. People could now take photos and have them developed inside the camera in under a minute. It was fairly expensive at launch but over time more models were released, dropping the prices so that almost all of the population could afford it. However, in 2008, Polaroid ceased production of all products and closed its doors, taking its secrets with it. The quality of a Polaroid is still difficult to replicate to this day.

Smart cameras began to appear with the first SLR cameras during the 1950s. Nikon began with the Model F and a Japanese company called Ashai (later known as Pentax) introduced the Ashaiflex. The SLR remained the camera of choice for 30 years. After this, compact cameras began to become more prominent. Nicknamed “point and shoot” cameras could now calculate shutter speed, aperture and focus, allowing the photographer to concentrate on composition.

New companies began to emerge, including Canon and previously mentioned, Pentax. DSLRs were now the preferred option for a professional. Cameras now began to shrink, small enough to now have three or more of them on the back of a smartphone, retaining the ability to take an incredibly high-quality photograph.

An image taken by Robert Frank, a Swiss Photographer who created a book called The Americans (1958) over 1955-1956. He travelled across the country to taking photographs to reflect American society at the time.

This image in particular shows racial segregation in the south, and how normalised it was in society.

His images are in black and white, giving them a timeless feel- which can now be interpreted by modern audiences as showing how racism is still an important issue in society. The windows of the trolley look to be forming prison bars separating the passengers and showing how discrimination can divide society.

Photography functions- There are many uses for photography, it can be used to record history and science, for self-expression or art, and it can even be used commercially.

Photography as an art form- Photography can be used as a form of art, telling stories through images through the use of lighting, composition and even the subject itself. It can also been used in collages or with editing to further an intended idea.

Photography as a science- Photography can also be used scientifically, to record discoveries and share them with other specialists around the world. It can be used as evidence or simply to document a new discovery. It can also be used to look back on history, and find out more from a certain point in time.

The difference between the study of photography and the practice of photography- There is a difference between the study and the practice of photography, studying photography teaches the pure hypotheticals of how things like cameras or lighting works. However the practice of photography teaches things studying cannot, using past mistakes to learn lessons and a chance to try new things.

Hamptonne is a country life museum that’s surrounded by trees and fields that shows how life was in Jersey through its farm and houses that date back to the 15th century. It contains a variety of different areas that are available to explore and help inform visitors about Jersey’s past and traditions including the apple orchard, the bakehouse, and many more. Along with this, Hamptonne also has characters dressed in traditional clothing that visitors are able to interact with from Late March through to October such as the spinning ladies.

The farm itself got its name in 1663 when Laurens Hamptonne bought the house and gained several Grants in 1649 due to his support for King Charles II, who was exiled at the time, which gave him permission to rebuild the ‘Colombier’ despite that being something only Jersey Seigneurs could do.

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One of the most popular areas at Hamptonne is the Cider Apple Orchard that has a variety of different apple trees with contrasting flavours which creates a perfect balance for cider making.

Every year Hamptonne prepares for their cider making festival called ‘La Faîs’sie d’Cidre‘ by collecting the apples from their orchard. They offer apple picking sessions throughout the first 2 weekends of October however are limited with the amount of people they can allow per session due to its popularity.

They crush the apples and press the pulp at the farm in order to create their cider and often listen to traditional music whilst enjoying the drink.

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A local photographer, Tom Kennedy, uses natural light in order to make painting-like photos that are similar to the work of 17th Century painters such as Vermeer. He’s visited Hamptonne and photographed there multiple times as he wants people to reflect on their own lives and hopes to move people wiht his work.