An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings. The term is most frequently used of a genre of photography. Environmental portrait photography is the art of taking pictures that will be used to tell a person’s story via its connection to a certain place. This connection often reflects the message that the environmental portrait photographer wants the viewer’s eye to receive.

August Sander was a German portrait and documentary photographer who is best known for his portraits. The subjects in his photos would always be surrounded by the environmental they work in so their occupation was clear to the viewers. Sander’s goal was to consciously define people within a particular field of time with his attempt to honestly tell the truth about our age and people. Typologies, which Sander uses in his work, are collections of work that visually explore a theme or subject to draw out similarities and differences for examination.

Arnold Newman

Arnold Newman was an American photographer noted for his environmental portraits of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images.

Emotional Response

This photography immediately creates a villainous and threatening atmosphere, also creating an uncomfortable sense of confrontation.

Technical

The lighting of the photo seems to be bright in the background and dark in the front while the aperture is set to have everything mostly in focus. The shutter speed is highly exposed on the lights and trains while the ISO also has a high sensitivity. The white balance reveals warm and cold tones, especially warm on the subjects face while he is also covered in shadows to build contrast.

Visual

The photo is shown with dark and dull colours, especially greens and brown, while the dark tones are contrasted with light throughout the top middle. The shape is symmetrical with leading lines to emphasise this. A sense of depth is created with the background in relatively deep focus. Krupp is central with pillars either side of him while he is in the foreground staring down the barrel of the lens. The repetition of the lights leads the eye to the cluttered background.

Contextual

In history, this photo was taken after the events of second world war and Jewish concentration camps. Arnold was a Jewish photographer while Krupp, the subject, was a German Nazi war criminal. Highlighted by the Industrial background, the photograph serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during World War II.

Conceptual

The idea that he is a sinister and cruel man is displayed as he is shown as superior with him shown in the light. His own poetic justice is shown by making him seem as evil as possible. Making Krupp lean forward to create this, shadows are cast on his face as he appears threatening at directly menacing to viewers.

Photoshoot Plan

Where?

• Garden
• Canteen
• Field
• Stairs
• Bedroom

Technical Ideas

• Typologies
• Rule of thirds
• Small aperture
• Landscape
• Adjusted ISO

Who?

• Laura
• Dad
• Sophia
• Rodrigo
• Mum

Contact Sheet

Final Pictures

Due to the intimate background, this picture feels very invasive as if we have caught the subject at a time and place he feels safe and does not want to be disturbed. This is enhanced by the subjects stare into the lens.

I chose to have the subject crouched and looking at the ground for this specific image to give the impression she is a more inferior character. She does not address the camera as she seems more aside as if she is letting the environment have a bigger focus.

Using the rule of thirds to highlight this, I have captured the sitter in a position where she appears to be in her own thoughts. Despite this, her eyes and face are still visible to the camera so we can get a sense of what’s happening in her mind.

The subject is making direct eye contact with the camera creating a sense of confrontation as if the viewer is the reason she is in the state she is in. This picture feels almost creepy as the subjects facial emotions do not correspond to the dramatic position that is clearly evident.

With the foggy background contrasting with the vibrant grass, I thought this made an effective composition with the subject central and taking up an appropriate amount of room within the photo. The photo is very naturalistic and candid as the subject appears to be caught of guard.

For my final display, I decided to edit pictures with a specific colour palette which I enhanced through adjustments of saturation and other tweaks in photoshop. Due to the fact that my experimentation led to each photograph having a significant colour, I lined them up in a grid where I then arranged them in format of the colour wheel in order to show intention and different compositions. Contrasting the bold use of colour, I settled for a black and white background in a diagonal ombre to echo the gradient of the photograph’s darker and light tones; creating the idea of a shining torch or light.

Environmental portraiture – An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings. The term is most frequently used of a genre of photography. The purpose of an environmental is to to tell a story through props in an image that reveals the background or information about a character.

Analysis

The details of this photo leaves Easter eggs into the life for example:

Short biography :

Born in 1985 , Laura Pannack is an award winning British photographer based in London

Her photographs

Pannack was born in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London.

She gained a degree in editorial photography and studied a foundation course in painting

When asked about her influences she stated:

 “Too many to mention … I assisted Simon Roberts and he’s been a mentor to me, an epic support and an inspiration. I’ve also always been influenced by Taryn Simon, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Gregory Crewdson, Joel Sternfeld, Sally Mann and Vanessa Winship.”

– Laura pannack

Chosen image

The image i have chosen to analyse is titled : A wondrous child Erja ( born to be free)

27th June 2023

The image consists of a young girl in a white dress and trainers seen in the foreground , we can tell she is young by her size , she is quite small and this is even further exaggerated by the trees that surround her.

Brief Introduction : Typology is a type of photograph which had its ultimate roots in August Sander’s series of portraits in 1929, titled “Face Of Our Time”. The term ‘Typology’ was first used to describe a style of photography when Bernd and Hilla Becher began documenting old and broken down German industrial architecture in 1959.

August Sander

Short Biography

August Sander was born in Herdorf on the 17th of November 1876 , his father was a carpenter working in the mining industry who had 6 other children.

August was introduced to photography during his time assisting a photographer from Seigen who , like Sanders father , worked for a mining company.

In order to buy is own photography equipment, Sander borrowed money from his uncle , Sander then continued to set up his own darkroom.

Some of his work

Augusts main goal was to document the society he lived in , he was committed to ‘telling the truth’ and in order to do this he would photograph straight on , in natural light with information about the subject subtly hinted to through props in the image. These props could consist of clothing , setting , pose and any objects shown in the photo.

More information

In 1911 Sander began his first series of photographs titled : ‘People Of The 20th Century’ , his aim was to show the diversity amongst the population during the Weimar Republic

He split this series into 7 sections :

• The Farmer
• The skilled tradesman
• Woman
• Classes and Professions
• The Artists
• The City
• The Last People

Sander came in contact with a radical group of artists called the Cologne Progressives in the early 1920s , this group was linked to the workers movement who:

“sought to combine constructivism and objectivity, geometry and object, the general and the particular, avant-garde conviction and political engagement, and which perhaps approximated most to the forward looking of New Objectivity “

– Wieland Schmied

Analysis

Salz is in a stylish herringbone coat, confidently leaning against a grand entrance, framed artwork hanging in the background. In his hands is a publication rolled to strategically reveal an Art Deco illustration of a young fashionable woman, an emblem of Germany’s gilded era. This print, among the earliest by Sander to come up for auction, offers an intimate glimpse into the great talent of Sander, the established success of Salz and a brief period of Germany’s artistic flourishing between the Wars.

Visual –

• subject is stood up and leaning against an industrial looking doorframe
• negative space behind the subject gives the photo an eerie feeling and
• subjects central
• subject is leaning to the side of the image , hands overlapping eachother standing straight up – calm but alert/aware

Technical –

• Lighting – could be natural or ariticial as the lighting is soft but its not clear if the subject is standing in the doorway to the outside or just to another room
• Aperture – background is out of focus leading me to believe the aperture is lower possible f/1.8 or f/2

Contextual –

• subject -Sam Salz
• Born 1894 , Poland
• Left home age 17 moving to austria and later france
• Opened his own gallary in early 1920s despite his aspirations to be an artist

Concept–

• Sander took a liking to Slaz
• Both eschewing traditional norms
• Salz was the the subject to many other photographers and artists

Definition – A photographic typology is a study of “types”. That is, a photographic series that prioritizes “collecting” rather than stand-alone images. It’s a powerful method of photography that can be used to reshape the way we perceive the world around us.

A photographic typology is a body of work that visually explores a theme or subject to draw out similarities and differences for examination.

An example of the use of Typologies is ” The People Of The 20th Century” as each image is classed by age, occupation ,class etc.

I didn’t like the over exposure in the background where the sun is positioned and the colours in the image felt dull , i wanted to dramatizes the image to create a more serious feel.

I then decided to create a black and white version to add dimension and atmosphere to the photo.

Comparison

When comparing the two images it is clear that Sander uses a more warmer filter , i aimed to position the subject somewhat similar to the character in Sanders image , both images use side backlighting whilst also using natural lighting , however the lighting is cast on different sides of the face.

Arnold Newman was one of the most accomplished portrait photographers of the twentieth century known for his environmental portraits of artists and celebrities such as Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, and Marilyn Monroe.

He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images. In 2006, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.

Image Analysis

Visual:

In the image the sitter is the main focal point and he is very central. He’s framed by concrete pillars, giving off a cold, industrial sense, he is also leaning into the photo with clasped hands and strong eye contact to give him a sinister and confident look.

The background looks very industrial and it looks as though the sitter is in ownership or in charge of the environment. The lights on the ceiling are leading lines from the top of the image to the sitter’s portrait. The light on the top of the photo contrasts the dark lighting on the bottom which creates balance. The image has a very strong contrast which exaggerates the sinister atmosphere. The sitter appears elevated above the background which further enhances the ownership.

Technical:

The lighting could be artificial which creates a strong contrast on the sitter’s face making him look more sinister and darkening his gaze. The photography probably used a medium aperture as the image has a sharp foreground and a slightly softer background but we are still able to identify some of the environmental details. The shutter speed could be quite fast as the subject is in focus, with a balanced exposure, the angle of the image is also in eye level with the subject which makes us feel like we are sitting opposite from him which makes us feel more intimidated and it seems more confrontational.

Contextual:

In 1963, Jewish photographer Arnold Newman was commissioned by Newsweek to take a portrait of Alfred Krupp, a convicted Nazi war criminal.

Alfred Krupp was a German industrialist who ran the Krupp empire, a major arms manufacturer during World War II. Convicted as a war criminal for his company’s use of slave labour, the majority of the men and boys who perished were Jewish and Krupp holds a particular place of hatred amongst its people, he was later pardoned. Despite his pardon, Krupp remained a controversial figure, and his reputation as a ruthless businessman and war profiteer followed him.

At first, Newman refused, but eventually, he decided to take the assignment as a form of personal revenge. The resulting portrait became one of the most controversial and significant images of its time.

When preparing to take the photo, Newman asking Krupp to lean forward slightly, when Krupp did this he also clasped his hands together under his chin. When he moved, the light hit his face perfectly and when Newman saw this he stated that ‘he felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck’.

Concept:

The portrait captured the essence of Krupp’s character, making him look like the embodiment of evil. Upon seeing the portrait, Krupp was furious. Nevertheless, the image was published and became one of Newman’s most famous works. The portrait served as a powerful reminder of the atrocities committed during World War II and the individuals who were responsible for them. The circulation of the photo brought Krupp out from the shadows and allowed Newman to share his hatred for his man with the world.

Mood board

What is environmental portraiture?

An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings. The term is most frequently used of a genre of photography.

Great portraits of this sort will capture people’s interaction with their natural surroundings to tell strong stories that generate an emotion in the viewer, giving insight into where these people are, what they do and who they are.

Arnold Newman is often credited with being the photographer who articulated and who consistently employed the genre of environmental portraiture, in which the photographer uses a carefully framed and lit setting, and its contents, to symbolize the individual’s life and work; a well-known example being his portrait of Igor Stravinsky in which the lid of his grand piano forms a gargantuan musical note representative of the melodic structure of the composer’s work. Newman normally captured his subjects in their most familiar surroundings with representative visual elements showing their professions and personalities. A musician for instance might be photographed in their recording studio or on stage, a Senator or other politician in their office or a representative building. Using a large-format camera and tripod, he worked to record every detail of a scene.

Contact Sheet

This is my contact sheet for all of the photos I have taken for this environmental portraiture project. I have chosen the school as the main environment and found different people throughout the school in their separate spaces.

Final photos before and after editing

I chose this photo as one of my final photos because I think it really captures the canteen lady in her natural environment in which she spends most of her time in. The fact that she is laughing also gives off the sense that she is happy in this environment.

I decided to lower the brightness and higher the contrast as there was too much light and I want people to focus more on the subject of the image. I also cropped the image to get rid of any negative space or extra people in the background. I turned up the vibrancy of the image to make it really stand out.

This photo of Mr. Price shows him in his natural environment which is his own office.

All I did to this photo was bring the brightness up a little bit and bring down the contrast to make the subject stand out. I also cropped the image down to get rid of negative space and I centred his face so that it is in the top middle of the photo.

In this image I brought up the saturation and brought down the brightness. This really brought out his features and the background

I decided to crop this image to get rid of the negative space and make sure that his head in completely centred in the middle of the image.

This image of Ava captures her doing her favourite hobby. I brought the brightness and contrast down. I increased the vibrancy and only slightly lowered the exposure and gamma correction. In the background I blurred some of the things that could distract the viewers from the main aspects of the image.

To crop this image I used the rule of thirds and placed the 3rd line on her eye.

Evaluation

In my opinion, I think I captured these people’s environments pretty well, although I could’ve used some variation of environments as I did mostly just use the school environment. I could learn how to do more advanced editing to my images to make them really stand out.

Arnold Abner Newman was an American photographer, noted for his “environmental portraits” of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images. In 2006, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.

Visual:

In the photo the man is the main focal point as the photo is Central as he’s in the middle of the photo in the background. The photo is Framed by concrete pillars which is also showing the cold and industrial environments. Sitter is leaning forward into the photo he has clasped hands and strong eye contact this shows he is confident and sinister. The Background is industrial. It looks as though the sitter is in ownership or in charge of the environment due to the firm look on his face and as he is in the middle. There is Leading lines, from the top of the image, lead to the sitter’s portrait which draws your attention to the man. the Light on the top of the photo, contrasts the dark on the bottom – creating balance between the contrast which exaggerates the sinister atmosphere.

Technical:

The Lighting Could be artificial, it creates strong contrast on the sitter’s face. Making him look more sinister and darkening his gaze. The Aperture Could be medium aperture as it has a Sharp foreground and a slightly softer background. you can still identify some of the environmental details. The Shutter speed could be quite a fast shutter speed as the subject is in focus, with a balanced exposure. The Angle is Eye level with the sitter which makes it feel more like we are sitting opposite them. We connect with them more. Maybe we feel more intimidated…. Sitter looks more confrontational.

Contextual:

in 1963, a Jewish photographer Arnold Newman was commissioned by Newsweek to take a portrait of Alfred Krupp, a convicted Nazi war criminal.

Alfred Krupp was a German industrialist who ran the Krupp empire, a major arms manufacturer during World War II. Convicted as a war criminal for his company’s use of slave labour, the majority of the men and boys who perished were Jewish and Krupp holds a particular place of hatred amongst its people, he was later pardoned. Despite his pardon, Krupp remained a controversial figure, and his reputation as a ruthless businessman and war profiteer followed him.

At first, Newman refused, but eventually, he decided to take the assignment as a form of personal revenge. The resulting portrait became one of the most controversial and significant images of its time.

When preparing to take the photo, Newman asking Krupp to lean forward slightly, when Krupp did this he also clasped his hands together under his chin. When he moved, the light hit his face perfectly and when Newman saw this he stated that ‘he felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck’.

after this, the photo came one of his most iconic photos.

Concept:

The portrait captured the essence of Krupp’s character, making him look evil and in charge . Upon seeing the portrait, Krupp was furious. Nevertheless, the image was published and became one of Newman’s most famous works. The portrait served as a powerful reminder of the atrocities committed during World War II and the individuals who were responsible for them. The circulation of the photo brought Krupp out from the shadows and allowed Newman to share his hatred for his man with the world.

Arnold Newman environmental portraits

Newman went on to photograph Eleanor Roosevelt, Pablo Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright, Golda Meir, Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe, Salvador Dalí, and the former president Bill Clinton: decidedly on his own terms. There would be no overstuffed costume fittings or stark studios. Mr. Newman’s portraits were defined by his sitter’s environments, which led him to be known as the “father of the environmental portrait.” which he hated being called.

Otto Frank, who was a businessman and the father of Anne Frank. in Amsterdam, 1960. Credit…Arnold Newman

Gwendolyn Knight, sculptor, and Jacob Lawrence, painter. New York, 1944.Credit…Arnold Newman

George Grosz, painter. Bay side, New York, 1942.Credit…Arnold Newman

What he said about his photos

in his photos he argued that he was not interested in the details of his subjects surroundings. but instead the symbol’s that he could create. furthermore A new book by Radius Books, “Arnold Newman: One Hundred,” published in conjunction with the Howard green burg gallery in honour of the centennial of his birth, shows the range of his symbolic approach.

Some plates in the book are solely of symbols — like a collage of a violin maker’s patterns in Philadelphia. One of his most famous, his mid-1940s portrait of Igor Stravinsky that was commissioned by Harper’s Bazaar, shows the composer at the corner of a large piano. This, Mr. Newman explained, was not about the piano, it was about the symbol the piano represents.

within this photo it shows how he crops to symbolise a music note when cropped and more so how it is in black and white, which also makes all of his photos seem like they are related in some way or another.

Others which show subjects placed within symbols. In his 1956 portrait, Mr. Newman posed the bald head of the painter and sculptor Jean Dubuffet in front of a weathered wall that looked like a huge glob of chipped paint.

Image Analysis:

Emotional responce

this photo graph automatically gives an uncomfortable view because if the way he’s staring out at you with a villainous look to him.

Visual

in the photo there are really dark and gloomy colours such as green and brown. its dark toned with light throughout the middle top. the shape is symmetrical with leading lines. creates a sense of depth with the background in relatively deep focus, and the man is central with pillars either side of him. he is in the foreground. lights repetition leads the eye to the deep background.

technical

in this the lighting bright in the back ground however on him its very dark on his on the front of his face. The aperture is high. also the shutter speed looks over exposed on the lights and where the lights are shining on but where the lights don’t reach it seems like its slightly under exposed. from the high sensitivity in the ISO shows the its all its focus. throughout the photo there is a warm and cold feel about it expect from Krupp because he is the vocal point.

contextual

has a very historical view of after the second world war and Jewish concentration camps. which is very personal to Arnold Newman, who is a Jewish photography, who also originally didn’t want to take the photo. While Alfred Krupp, the subject, was a German Nazi war criminal. with the visual aspect the industrial backdrop, which serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during WW2.

conceptual

shows that Krupp is seen as scheming and looks evil and cruel, also where he is positioned shows that he’s the owner of the train station where they would transport the Jews to concentration camps. showing this is that he looks bigger and better with him in the spot light. Arnold Newman shows his own poetic justice by making Krupp seen as evil as possible. showing this is the shadows that come down on his face, to create this Newman made Krupp lean forward to create this.

a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings.

which in these types of photos it can reveal lots of things or conceal thing to the naked eye, such as the top second one at the top, as it could reveal that its a child working and and doesn’t look happy doing what he is doing. however the 5th one on the second row only shows a part of the photo, so could mean that its been cropped which is being concealed and it doesn’t reveal much about him except that he looks happy.

An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings.

Arnold Newman

Arnold Abner Newman was an American photographer, noted for his environmental portraits of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images. In 2006, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. He also won the Lucie award in 2004.

Alfred Krupp

Alfred Krupp was a German steel manufacturer and inventor; the largest arms supplier of his era, which earned him the nickname “The Cannon King”. Krupp’s wartime employment of slave labour resulted in the “Krupp Trial” of 1947–1948, following which he served three years in prison.

Arnold Newman and Alfred Krupp photo Analysis

Alfred Krupp was a Nazi war criminal who was known for using slave labour in his factories, this can be seen in the background of this image if you look closely. Krupp contacted the famous photographer Newman for a portrait in 1963. After finding out that Newman was a Jew, Krupp refused to let him take the photograph.

Newman didn’t give up he kept asking Krupp to have a look at his portfolio before making a final decision, after seeing Newman’s portfolio Krupp finally gave in and accepted. So on July 6, 1963, Newman and some others went into a derelict factory in Essen which belonged to Krupp, This was where the photo was taken. After Krupp’s history Newman decided to make him look as evil as possible under the eerie demonic lighting of the factory.

This portrait was taken using a wide angle lens, there is a bigger sense of perspective, the lighting is eerie and demonic with the green tint which makes the subject appear very sinister. Krupp is presented as smug and almost proud of his actions, this is seen through his positioning in the photo where his hands are being placed together, his smile is clearly shown. His position in the photo taking up the whole bottom half being above and in front of the factory also is trying to suggest that he is being smug or sly .

Artist reference 2

August Sander

August Sander was a German photographer whose work documented the society he lived in. He was one the most important portrait photographers of the early 20th century.

Bio

The son of a mining carpenter, Sander apprenticed as a miner in 1889. Acquiring his first camera in 1892, he took up photography as a hobby and, after military service, pursued it professionally, working in a series of photographic firms and studios in Germany.

By 1904 he had his own studio in Linz, and, after his army service in World War I, he settled permanently in Cologne, where in the 1920s his circle of friends included photographers and painters dedicated to what was called Neue Sachlichkeit, or New Objectivity.

About his photographs

After photographing local farmers near Cologne, Sander was inspired to produce a series of portraits of German people from all strata of society. He was committed to telling the truth. His portraits were usually stark, photographed straight on in natural light, with facts of the sitters’ class and profession alluded to through clothing, gesture, and backdrop. At the Cologne Art Society exhibition in 1927, Sander showed 60 photographs of “Man in the Twentieth Century,” and two years later he published Antlitz der Zeit which translates to Face of Our Time, the first of what was projected to be a series offering a sociological, pictorial survey of the class structure of Germany.

to capture texture in a photo you need various colours, shapes and depth of the objects surface

Werner Bischof

Werner Bischof’s photographs of post-World War II European and Asian cultures were integral to the development of photojournalism since 1945. Trained in graphic design and photography at the Zürich School of Arts and Crafts, Bischof adhered early to the style of New Objectivity, and an interest in avant-garde art and photography led him to move to Paris in 1939. The war began shortly after his arrival, and he returned to Switzerland, where he was conscripted. His experiences with refugees and his observation of the desperate conditions of war as a soldier at the Swiss border–as well as his later employment at the Zürich magazine Du, where he was encouraged toward photojournalism–resulted in a dramatic change in his photographic approach between 1942 and 1944. By 1945 he was producing the socially conscious photographs and essays for which he became best known, and had begun traveling extensively for life. Bischof specialised in photos of texture

this is one of werner bischofs texture photos and he likes to get photos of people with a texture around them

this is a photo that i took i went up to a stop sign and took a photo of it, the rust on the stop sign added texture to it, i took this photo in to light room and then edited it i changed the bottom white colour to a blue colour it made it stand out more and more vibrant, this makes the texture stand out more

I explored the theme of texture in this photo by taking a photo of a wall with shadows of the tree shining on it, it was with the use of natural lighting. The tree shadows highlights the detail of the wall. i used a medium Iso for this photo.

The main subject in this photo is the pink leaves i edited the photo to add more detail to the foreground, the background of this photo is the leaves on the floor that are bright orange this adds

The term “fixing the shadows” started as a way to describe the early stages of photography , referring to the fixer , a chemical combination used in the final steps of processing an image onto paper. However its also linked to the use of the camera obscura.

The term ” camera obscura ” was first used by the German astronomer Johnnas kepler in the early 17th century.

Originally the camera obscura was used to study eclipses with without the risk of damaging the eyes by looking directly into the sun

A camera obscura consists of a box, tent, or room with a small hole in one side or the top. Light from an external scene passes through the hole and strikes a surface inside, where the scene is reproduced, inverted (upside-down) and reversed (left to right), but with color and perspective preserved.

The camera obscura was then later used by artists to trace outlines which led many to take an interest in looking for more permanent photographic images as the camera obscuras images were beautiful but fleeting. This included Nicephore niepce.

Nicephorus Niepce

Nicephorus Niepce was a French inventor and one of the earliest pioneers of photography. He developed heliography after being inspired by the camera obscura which translates to ” sun drawings ” , he used it to create the worlds first permanent photographic images.

For his first experiments , Nicéphore Niépce positioned at the back of a camera obscura sheets of silver salts coated paper, known to blacken with daylight . In may 1816 he produced the first image of nature : a view from a window . It was a negative and the image vanished because in broad daylight the coated paper becomes completely black . He calls these images “retinas”.

Louis Daguerre

Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre was a French artist and photographer, recognized for his invention of the eponymous daguerreotype process of photography. He became known as one of the fathers of photography much like Nicephore.

the eponymous daguerreotype is characterized by its mirrored surface and the image’s high level of detail. First introduced in 1839 in France, the process quickly spread throughout Europe and to the United States where it was popular through the 1860s.

Having effectively retired, Daguerre returned to his first passion and spent the last decade of his life painting diorama-like tableaus for local churches in and around the Paris suburb of Bry-sur-Marne. He died there of a heart attack on July 10, 1851, aged 63.

The daguerreotype process made it possible to capture the image seen inside a camera obscura and preserve it as an object. It was the first practical photographic process and ushered in a new age of pictorial possibility.

Daguerreotype

The daguerreotype is a direct-positive process, creating a highly detailed image on a sheet of copper plated with a thin coat of silver without the use of a negative. The process required great care. The silver-plated copper plate had first to be cleaned and polished until the surface looked like a mirror.

Daguerreotypes can be identified by a silver mirror finish where the image can be seen or not seen depending on reflection. These date from 1839 -1860s. Ambrotypes are a positive on glass with black background added in order to contrast and see the image dating from the 1850s -1860s

The daguerreotype is accurate, detailed and sharp. It has a mirror-like surface and is very fragile. Since the metal plate is extremely vulnerable, most daguerreotypes are presented in a special housing.

Henry Fox Talbot

William Henry Fox Talbot was an English scientist, inventor, and photography pioneer who invented the salted paper and calotype processes, precursors to photographic processes of the later 19th and 20th centuries. 

William Henry Fox Talbot was credited as the British inventor of photography. In 1834 he discovered how to make and fix images through the action of light and chemistry on paper. These ‘negatives’ could be used to make multiple prints and this process revolutionised image making.

Within 18 months of his initial experiments, he had grasped how to make these drawings permanent and, more importantly, developed the negative/positive process. Talbot’s calotype became the foundation for modern photographic practices. Talbot’s name appears alongside Louis Daguerre as a pioneering inventor.

Richard Leach Maddox

Richard Leach Maddox was an English photographer and physician who invented lightweight gelatin negative dry plates for photography in 1871.

Long before his discovery of the dry gelatin photographic emulsion, Maddox was prominent in what was called photomicrography – photographing minute organisms under the microscope. The eminent photomicrographer of the day, Lionel S. Beale, included as a frontispiece images made by Maddox in his manual ‘How to work with the Microscope’ – wikipedia