Camera obscura –
Camera obscura is an optical device that uses a darkened room or box with a small hole ( aperture ) on one side. When light passes through this hole, it projects an inverted image of the outside scene onto a surface inside the room, or box. This effect occurs because light travels in straight lines.
This term ( camera obscura ) comes from Latin, meaning ‘ dark chamber. ‘ Historically, it was used to by artists to help them draw and understand perspective, as well as scientists to study optics. The basic principle of the camera obscura is also foundational to the development of modern photography and cameras.
Pinhole photography –
Pinhole photography is a simple and direct form of photography that uses a pinhole camera, which is essentially a light tight box or container with a small hole ( the pinhole ) instead of a lens. When light passes through this small aperture, it projects an image of the scene outside onto a photosensitive surface inside the camera such as film or photographic paper.
Unlike traditional cameras that use lenses to focus light, pinhole cameras rely solely on the pinhole to create an image. This results in a unique softness and depth of field in the photos.
Because the aperture is so small, pinhole cameral typically require longer exposure times compared to regular cameras. This means that you might need to leave the camera open for several minutes to capture a proper image, depending on the lighting conditions.
Pinhole cameras have almost an infinite depth of field, which means that objects at various distances from the camera can appear in focus.
Photographers often use pinhole cameras artistic purposes, as the images can have a dreamlike quality and unique characteristics that differ from conventional photography.
Nicephore Niepce –
Nicephore Niepce was a French inventor and one of the pioneers of photography. He is best known for creating the first permanent photograph in the early 19th century. In 1826 or 1827, he captured an image called ‘ View from the window at le gras’ which is considered the oldest surviving photograph.
Niepce used a process called heliography, which involved a bitumen-coated plate that hardened in proportion to the light exposure. The image required a long exposure time of about 8 hours, resulting in a blurry but significant breakthrough in the history of photography.
The long exposure time and the need for a stable setup made the process cumbersome, but it was a ground-breaking step in the in the development of photography. Niepce’s work demonstrated that it was possible to capture and preserve images using chemical processed, paving the way for future advancements in photographic technology.
Heliography –
Nicephore’s heliography process, also known as ‘sun writing’, was quite innovative for its time. He used a pewter plate coated with a light sensitive substance called bitumen of Judea, which is a type of asphalt
He placed the plate inside a camera obscura and exposed it to light for several hours, the bitumen hardened in areas where it was exposed to light, while the parts that stood in the shadows stayed soft.
After the exposure, he washed the plate with a mixture of oil and lavender and white petroleum. This solvent dissolved the unexposed, soft bitumen, leaving behind only the hardened areas that had been exposed to light.
The result was a permanent image etched onto the plate, showing a direct positive representation of the scene outside the camera obscura.
Louis Daguerre and the Daguerreotype –
Louis Daguerre was a French artist and photographer, best known for inventing the daguerreotype, the first successful method of photography that was publicly announced in 1839. His work built upon the earlier experiments of Nicephore Niepce, with whom he collaborated.
The daguerreotype process involved exposing a silver-plated copper sheet to iodine vapor, which created a light-sensitive layer of silver iodide. After exposure in a camera, the plate was developed using mercury vapor, and then fixed with a salt solution. This process produced highly detailed images with a unique quality, making it the first practical form of photography.
Daguerre’s invention was a significant milestone in the history of photography, leading to the widespread adoption of photographic techniques and influencing many future developments in the field. His contributions helped establish photography as a legitimate art form and a valuable tool for documentation.
Henry Fox Talbot and the calotype process –
Henry Fox Talbot was an English scientist, inventor, and photography pioneer, best known for developing the calotype process in the 1830s. This process was one of the first methods to produce photographic negatives, which could then be used to create multiple positive prints.
Talbot’s calotype involved coating paper with silver iodide, which made it light-sensitive. After exposing the paper in a camera, the image was developed using a solution of gallic acid, resulting in a negative image. This was revolutionary because it allowed for the creation of multiple copies from a single exposure, unlike the daguerreotype, which produced a unique positive image.
His work laid the foundation for modern photography, and he is often credited with being one of the key figures in its early development, alongside Nicephore Niepce and Louis Daguerre. Talbot also published several important texts on photography, contributing to the understanding and acceptance of the medium as an art form.
Robert Cornelius –
Robert Cornelius was an American pioneer in photography, known for taking one of the earliest self-portraits in history. In 1839, he created a daguerreotype of himself, making it one of the first photographs of a person. Cornelius was also an early advocate for the use of photography and worked to promote the medium in the United States.
He operated a photography studio in Philadelphia and contributed to the development of photographic techniques during the early days of the medium. His self-portrait is significant not only for its historical value but also for showcasing the potential of photography as a means of personal expression.
Self portraiture –
The history of self-portraiture in photography dates back to the early days of the medium itself. After the invention of photography in the 1830s, artists and photographers began to explore self-portraiture as a way to express their identity and artistic vision.
One of the earliest known self-portraits in photography was taken by Robert Cornelius in 1839. He created a daguerreotype of himself, which was significant not only for its historical value but also for establishing self-portraiture as a legitimate form of artistic expression in photography.
As photographic technology evolved, so did the techniques for creating self-portraits. The introduction of the box camera in the late 19th century made it easier for people to take their own photographs. This led to a surge in self-portraiture, as individuals could now capture their likeness without needing a professional photographer.
In the 20th century, self-portraiture became more widely embraced by artists, with photographers like Cindy Sherman and Francesca Woodman using self-portraiture to explore themes of identity, gender, and the self. The rise of digital photography and social media in the 21st century has further transformed self-portraiture, giving rise to the phenomenon of selfies, where individuals share their self-portraits instantly online.
Self-portraiture in photography has evolved significantly over the years, reflecting changes in technology, art movements, and societal attitudes toward identity and self-representation.
Julia Margret Cameron –
Julia Margaret Cameron was a British photographer who became one of the most important portraitists of the 19th century. Born in 1815, she took up photography relatively late in life, at the age of 48, when she received a camera as a gift. Despite her late start, she quickly developed a distinctive style characterized by soft focus and dramatic, often allegorical compositions.
Cameron’s work was groundbreaking for its time. She often used long exposures and soft-focus techniques to create ethereal, almost dreamlike images. Her subjects included many notable figures of her time, such as Charles Darwin, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Sir John Herschel, as well as numerous portraits of women and children.
Her approach to photography was highly artistic and unconventional, sometimes criticized for its lack of sharpness and technical precision. However, her work has since been recognized for its emotional depth and artistic innovation, influencing future generations of photographers.
Julia Margaret Cameron’s contributions to photography were significant in establishing the medium as a legitimate art form, and her work continues to be celebrated for its beauty and expressive power.
Pictorialism –
Pictorialism was an artistic movement in photography that emerged in the late 19th century, primarily between the 1880s and the early 1900s. It sought to elevate photography to the status of fine art, emphasizing aesthetic expression over mere documentation of reality.
The movement was characterized by its use of soft focus, creative composition, and manipulation of the photographic print to create images that resembled paintings or other artistic mediums. Pictorialists often employed techniques such as gum bichromate printing, photogravure, and various darkroom manipulations to achieve their desired effects.
Key figures in the Pictorialism movement included Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, and Gertrude Käsebier. They believed that photography should convey emotion and artistic intent, rather than just serve as a tool for capturing reality. This led to a focus on subjects such as landscapes, portraits, and allegorical scenes, often imbued with a sense of mood or atmosphere.
Pictorialism also played a crucial role in the establishment of photography as a recognized art form, with photographers forming organizations like the Photo-Secession in the United States. However, as the 20th century progressed, Pictorialism began to decline in favor of more modernist approaches to photography, which emphasized clarity, sharpness, and the inherent qualities of the photographic medium.
Pictorialism significantly influenced the development of photography and left a lasting legacy on how photographers approach artistic expression today.
Henry Mullins –
Henry Mullins was by far the most prolific of the first generation of Jersey photographers in the mid-nineteenth century. He produced thousands of portraits of islanders between 1848 and 1873 at his highly successful studio in the prime location of the Royal Square, St Helier.
As a commercial photographer he consistently embraced the rapid technical progress that ran in parallel with his career. While numerous photographic studios opened across the town of St Helier in the 1850s and 1860s, Henry Mullins continued to be the photographer of choice for leading members of Jersey society and successful local and immigrant families. Mullins’s productivity was matched by the technical standard of his work; qualities that are exemplified in the richness of the portraits of Victorian islanders preserved on the pages of his photograph albums.
