CAMERA OBSCURA

The camera obscura is an optical device that served as the starting point for cameras. It consists of a darkened room or box with a small hole on one side so when light passes through it projects an inverted, upside down image of the outside scenery onto a wall if its in a room or a surface of the inside of a box.

Sometimes it can be difficult to see that the camera obscure was the origin of photography because technically it was scientifically founded and not invented by anyone so the fact is that it has always been around.

NICEPHORE NIEPCE

One of the pioneers of photography is Nicephore Niepce and the world’s first permanent photograph is credited by him. Using a technique called heliography, Niepce created what is thought to be the oldest surviving photograph in 1826. It took several hours or possibly days to create using a camera obscura. Niepce’s creation established the groundwork for contemporary photography. But for a variety of reasons, including technical ones like being overshadowed by a later invention and the changing perception of photography as a medium, he wasn’t always acknowledged as the first photographer. His creation had some important drawbacks, such as extraordinarily long exposure durations and comparatively weak image quality. Because of this, it became less useful.

Henry Fox Talbot

Henry Fox Talbot created hotogenic Drawing, one of the first photography processes, in the 1830s. It entailed applying a silver chloride coating to paper that darkened in response to light. When objects were positioned directly on the paper, sunlight would darken the exposed portions while leaving the covered portions light, producing a negative image. By establishing the idea of making negatives, this procedure constituted a significant milestone in the history of photography and made it possible to eventually make reproducible photographic prints.

In his early photography efforts, he employed little camera obscuras called mousetraps to take pictures. These gadgets were called “mousetraps” because of the way they looked—small, like boxes. Talbot utilised the cameras to take pictures by inserting light-sensitive paper inside of them.

Daguerreotype

One of the first types of photography is the daguerreotype, which Louis Daguerre created in 1839. It is a direct-positive method, which means that no negative is needed to produce a single, distinct picture on a polished copper sheet that has been plated in silver. The result is an extremely detailed image that can be viewed from many perspectives and has a surface that resembles a mirror.

Despite being revolutionary, the daguerreotype system did not achieve the same level of success as other inventions due to its inability to make duplicate images and its limited scalability. In addition, it was a more costly and intricate procedure that needed dangerous chemicals and silver-coated plates.

Anna Atkins

The first book illustration using photography was British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions by Anna Atkins, published in 1843. A photographer’s toolkit has included this technique of using light to trace the contours of objects on receptive surfaces since the beginning.

A cheap, slow-reacting photographic printing formulation, the cyanotype is sensitive to a narrow range of blue and near-ultraviolet light spectrum, the so-called UVA radiation range, which is between 300 and 400 nm. The device generates a black-and-white, blue-colored print on various surfaces, frequently utilised for artwork and blueprint reprography. In general, the procedure requires two chemicals for any given purpose.

Richard Maddox

The dry plate photographic process was created in 1871 by Richard Leach Maddox. This innovation took the role of the previous wet plate method, which made photography labour-intensive and time-sensitive because it required photographers to coat and develop plates while they were still wet. Greater convenience and flexibility were provided by the gelatin emulsion coating applied to Maddox’s dry plates, which could be made ahead of time and utilised afterward. This breakthrough established the foundation for contemporary photographic film and made photography more easily transportable and accessible.

Muybridge’s famous Motion Study

Muybridge collaborated with Leland Stanford, a businessman and ex-governor of California, in the 1870s on an innovative project to resolve a dispute about whether all four hooves of a horse are off the ground at the same time during a gallop. Stanford, with a strong interest in horse racing, had a firm belief in this statement and assigned Muybridge the task of confirming it using photography. 

Eadweard Muybridge’s innovative use of sequential photography to capture motion is seen as a key influence on the creation of motion pictures, making him a pioneer of cinema. During the late 1800s, Muybridge utilized multiple cameras to capture images of animals and people in motion, analyzing their movements by capturing individual frames. “The Horse in Motion” (1878), his best-known masterpiece, illustrated how consecutive still images could create the illusion of continuous motion. 

Muybridge subsequently created the zoopraxiscope, a tool that displayed pictures in succession, giving the impression of movement – essentially an early version of film projection. His examination of movement, along with his advancements in technology, had a direct impact on the progress of cinematography. His research demonstrated that single frames could be pieced together to mimic authentic movement, which later served as the fundamental basis for film and animation. 

George Eastman

George Eastman transformed photography by changing the technology and process, making it available to more people. His main innovations focused on streamlining the photo-taking process and reducing costs, enabling amateurs to easily capture and develop photos. Eastman established Kodak, formally known as the Eastman Kodak Company, in 1892. The company transformed the world of photography by introducing cost-effective and user-friendly innovations like roll film and compact cameras like the Kodak camera, making it accessible to the general public. 

The Kodak Brownie

The first Kodak camera was originally named the “roll holder breast camera” based on the design of the film roll. Eastman himself coined the name “Kodak,” which made its debut in December 1887. 

Eastman established the foundation for enabling photography to be available to all with the Kodak camera. The Brownie, an Eastman Kodak innovation, was a basic box camera with one lens and utilized roll film. Customers will be given a camera with photos already on it, are supposed to take their own photos, and then return the camera to Kodak. The company will proceed to create the film, produce the photos, replace the film in the camera, and give it back to the customer. 

Digital Photography

In 1969, the groundwork for digital photography was laid by an Eastman Kodak team, with engineer Willard Boyle and physicist George E. Smith creating the charge-coupled device (CCD). This advancement in technology enabled the electronic capture of images, signifying a major departure from traditional film photography. The CCD sensor transformed light into electric signals, allowing for the digital recording and saving of pictures. Even though it would be many years before digital photography was widely available and film was replaced, this advancement set the stage for the development of digital cameras and imaging technology in the future. 

Camera obscura, an early optical device, was used in the ancient times and during the Renaissance. It operated by allowing light to pass through a small hole into a darkened room or box, projecting an inverted image of the outside scene onto a surface inside. This phenomenon was the basis for the development of modern cameras. The camera obscura was crucial in understanding optics and served as a precursor to the invention of photography. 

Nicephore Niepce, a French inventor, is renowned for creating the world’s first permanent photograph in 1826. He developed a process known as heliography, which involved using a camera obscura and light-sensitive materials to capture images. Niepce’s groundbreaking achievement marked the beginning of photography as we know it today, laying the foundation for future advancements in the field. His work was instrumental in the development of photographic technology and the art of capturing images through a chemical process. 

Henry Fox Talbot, an English scientist and inventor, is well-known for his contributions to the field of photography. He is famous for developing the calotype process, an early photographic technique that allowed multiple positive prints to be made from a single negative. Talbot’s invention revolutionized photography by introducing a more practical and versatile method compared to earlier techniques. His work played a significant role in the advancement of photography as an art form and a means of visual documentation. 

Louis Daguerre was a French artist and physicist known for his pioneering work in photography. He is famous for inventing the daguerreotype process, which produced highly detailed images on silver-plated copper sheets. Daguerre’s process was the first practical and commercially successful photographic method, marking a significant advancement in the field of photography. His contributions played a crucial role in the early development of photography as an art form and a means of visual expression. 

Richard Maddox was an English photographer and inventor renowned for his significant contribution to the field of photography. He is famous for developing the gelatin dry plate process in the 1870s. This innovation replaced the cumbersome wet plate collodion process, making photography more convenient and accessible. Maddox’s invention revolutionized photography by allowing photographers to use dry plates coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, leading to improved image quality and ease of use in capturing photographs. 

George Eastman was an American inventor and entrepreneur known for founding the Eastman Kodak Company and popularizing photography through the introduction of the Kodak camera. He revolutionized photography by making it more accessible to the public with the slogan “You press the button, we do the rest.” Eastman’s innovations, including roll film and the Brownie camera, played a significant role in the development and widespread adoption of amateur photography. His contributions transformed photography from a complex process into a simple and enjoyable activity for people around the world. 

The Kodak Brownie was a popular series of cameras introduced by the Eastman Kodak Company, founded by George Eastman. The Brownie cameras were affordable, simple to use, and played a significant role in popularizing photography among the general public. They were designed for amateur photographers and allowed people to capture moments easily. The Brownie cameras used roll film, making photography more accessible and enjoyable for a wide audience. The simplicity and affordability of the Brownie cameras contributed to the democratization of photography as a hobby and art form. 

Digital Photography is a modern method of capturing images using electronic sensors to record light. It became popular in the late 20th century as technology advanced. Instead of film, digital cameras store images as electronic data. When a photo is taken, the sensor converts light into digital information, which is then stored on a memory card. This digital data can be easily transferred to a computer for viewing, editing, and sharing. Digital photography revolutionized the way we take and interact with images, offering instant feedback and the ability to manipulate photos easily. 

 

Camera Obscura

The Camera Obscura is a natural phenomenon where the rays of light pass through a small hole into a dark space and when they hit a surface they will form an inverted and reversed image of the view outside in that dark space. The name is formed from Latin words for dark (obscura) and room (camera) and it is about 200 years old although its exact origin cannot be pinpointed as it is a phenomenon.

Nicephore Niepce

Nicephore Niepce in the early 18th century was the first person who was able to find a way to use the Camera Obscura and make the image formed permanent. He inserted at the back of the Camera Obscura sheets of silver salts coated paper which were known to blacken by daylight which would then form an image when the camera was in contact with sunlight. He was not always considered as the first person to shoot a photo as the method he used was done with the Camera Obscura which is a natural phenomenon meaning that anyone could of replicated the discovery that Niepce had discovered.

Henry Fox Talbot

In 1834 Henry Fox Talbot discovered a way to create camera less images called Photogenic Drawing. He used a fine sheet of writing paper and coated it in salt and brushed with a solution of silver nitrate. By doing this he was able to discover that the paper would darken when in contact with sunlight so with this discovery he was able to make precise tracings of specimens like leaves and plants. How he did this was he pressed the specimen of his choice against the paper then covered it with a sheet of glass and let it sit in the sun. After letting the light strike for a while he was then able to analyse that the paper had darkened under the sun but where the plant was placed it remained light due to the plant blocking the section of the paper from receiving sunlight. looking at this he called his new found discovery “the art of photogenic drawing”.

As his chemistry knowledge improved he was able to make a new discovery with this time returning the idea of photographic images made using a camera. He placed the sensitized photographic paper into the miniature cameras and used it to try and record the silhouette of Lacock Abbeys animated roofline and trees. His wife called his discovery the mouse trap. The mousetrap was a little wooden box with a brass tube housing a lens on one end and a sliding wooden panel at the other end. The wooden sliding panel housed the writing paper he made sensitive to light so when it was inserted in the camera, the camera would have to be placed in front of the subject and be left for hours to expose. Once it was left long enough to expose the paper would be removed from the mouse trap and be chemically treated so the image is stabilised. if the image reached this point successfully then the negative points were then used to create positive points by sensitising another sheet of paper, laying the negative on top of it on the frame, and exposing it for multiple hours. The resulted print would then need to be fixed to prevent the image from fading. Having to have the right balance of chemicals and treatments in order to produce the perfect and clearest image. This process was seen as one of the most tedious areas of research for the duration of early photography.

Louis Daguerre

Louis Daguerre presented his new discovery called the daguerreotype in 1839, the daguerreotype was the first commercially success photographic process used popularly from 1839 till 1860. The daguerreotype was named after the inventor Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre. How the daguerreotype worked was the picture was produced onto a sheet of copper plated with a thin silver plate instead of photographic paper, the plate had to be polished until the surface looked like a mirror after that the plate would be exposed to chemicals that made it light sensitive and then inserted into the camera. The images produced was very accurately detailed and sharp. The daguerreotype had a big flaw which was that you could not reproduce the original image which then made Talbots photography system dominate the daguerreotype.

Richard Maddox

Richard Maddox was a English Photographer and Physician who invented lightweight gelatin negative plates to be used in photography in 1871, His invention was called the dry plate. The dry plate is a glass plate coated with a gelatin emulsion of silver bromide. It can be easily stored and then be exposed and after exposure it can be brought back to a dark room for development at a leisure. His invention was so important for the history of photography as photographers were able to use dry plates off the shelf instead of having to prepare their own solution in a darkroom. The negatives also did not have to be developed immediately and for the first time cameras were made small enough to be able to hold and be used handheld.

George Eastman

George Eastman initially worked in the bank as a bank teller. He grew an interest in photography as he wanted to document a vacation he had planned. He became so interested in photography that he ended up not going to vacation at all. In 1879, London was the center of the business world especially for photography. George Eastman ended up obtaining a patent there for his plate-coating machine, he was able to get an American patent granted the following year. In April of 1880 Eastmen was able to lease the third floor of a building on state street in Rochester and was able to manufacture and sell dry plates for photography use. He ensured that his product was focused on the customer, mass produced at a low cost, was able to be sold worldwide and was advertised extensively in order for his company to grow and be successful. His company at one point found itself collapsing when a batch of dry plates went bad in the hands of the dealers. Instead of ignoring this issue eastman issued a recalled and replaced them all with a good product, even though it cost him his last dollar he believed that the companies reputation was more important than money. Eastmans goal was to make cameras as convenient as the pencil so he conducted experiments to make a new product that would change everything. The roll of film which he formed a new company for called Kodak.

Kodak (Brownie)

The roll of film was used for the first Kodak camera, the term kodak was formed by George Eastman himself and the name first appeared in December 1887. With the Kodak Camera Eastman insured that it would be able to be used by everyone. The Camera (named Brownie) was a basic box camera which housed a single lens, it used their roll of film made by George Eastman himself to produce photographs. Once you would take photographs with this camera you would send it to Kodak to get developed and then printed, the camera would then return to you with a new roll of film along with your photos.

Digital Photography

In 1969 sensors were being made which were needed for digital photography to take place, the sensor acts like a roll of film as it records the light that hits it and then sends it to the processor (CCD chip) in order for it to be translated to be viewed and made digitally. These sensors were being made by Willard Boyle and George Smith in a company named Bell labs, They made the CCD chip (Charge-Coupled Device) which worked by essentially using a row of tiny metal-oxide-semiconductors capacitors to store information as electrical chargers. Subsequent Inventors after hearing this information made the connection that if you were able to pair this chip with something that was photosensitive then you had got yourself a camera sensor. in 1972, the first published digital colour photograph was used on the cover of the Electronics magazine, taken by a British-born engineer named Dr Michael Tompsset

Henry Mullins

Henry Mullins worked at 230 Regent Street in London in the 1840s and he had decided to move to jersey in July of 1848. He set up a studio known as the Royal Saloon at 7 Royal Square. He was in a partnership with Mr Millward but shortly afterwards he worked alone in the same studio for 26 years. He took up to 16 photographs in a single sitting of his subjects including some influential people such as Dean Le Breton and the father of Lillie Langtry. His preferred method of photography was the Daguerreotype who was invented by Louis Daguerre.

Camera Obscura

A camera obscura is an optical device / natural phenomenon which projects rays of light through a small hole and into a dark room, resulting in a reversed and upside down image of the outside landscape or scenery. It’s hard to dictate the origins of this type of photography because it occurs naturally, and has been mentioned in writings since around 400 BC, however its believed that it was used before that to create cave paintings etc.

Nicephore Niepce

Nicephore Niepce was an inventor and photographer, primarily known for producing the first ever photograph. He was inspired the by the art of lithography and the early camera obscura, attempting to capture the images it produced more effectively than a pencil could do. Niepce’s first photograph was called ‘View From the Window at Le Gras’, however before he took that photo, he had made a permanent photographic image using heliography in 1822.

Henry Fox Talbot

Photogenic drawings, meaning drawings produced by light, involves sensitizing writing paper by dipping it in a solution of sodium chloride and coating one side with silver nitrate, which quickly turns dark when exposed to sunlight. As a result of this, an impression of an object was then made by placing it on the sensitized side of the paper and exposing it to the sun, later being stabilised with a salt solution.

Louis Daguerre

Daguerreotype was the first publicly available photographic process, introduced in 1839 and commonly used in the 1840s-50s. “Daguerreotype” also refers to an image created through this process, and a ‘Daguerreotypist’ is somebody who produces Daguerreotype images. However, the Talbot System was more successful as the daguerreotype produced an image with a mirror-like surface which could only be viewed from a narrow angle. Finally, prints of the the photo taken could not be produced.

Anna Atkins

Anna Atkins was a photographer and considered the first person to publish a book with photographic images in 1843, using cyanotype imagery. Cyanotype photography is a camera-less technique that involves laying an object on paper coated with a solution of iron salts before exposing it to UV light and washing with water to create white and Prussian blue images.

Richard Maddox

In 1871, Dr. Richard Maddox invented the Gelatin or Dry Plate photographic process. This involved the coating of glass photographic plates with a light sensitive gelatin emulsion and allowing them to dry prior to use. This invention was so revolutionary because dry plates allowed faster exposure times, making it possible to capture events and objects in motion.

Muybridge’s famous Motion Studies

Muybridge worked closely with Senator Leland Stanford on experiments to record horses in motion. In 1872, he agreed to work for Stanford at his Palo Alto Stock Farm, working to improve photographic shutter speeds and ultimately help determine whether all four feet of a horse are off the ground at any point in mid-gallop, and in 1873 he successfully captured that event in Sacramento, using Leland Stanford’s horse Occident as his subject.

George Eastman

In the 1880s, Eastman developed a convenient method of preparing ready-to-use plates. His improvements led to flexible, roll film as well as photo processing and printing done by mail order. Millions of people worldwide captured memories using cameras and film, manufactured by Eastmans business, Kodak.

Kodak

Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak) is an American technology company founded by George Eastman in 1888. It became well-known for its role in photography by creating easy-to-use cameras and affordable film, which made photography accessible to many people. Throughout the 20th century, Kodak was a major player in the industry with famous products like the Brownie camera. However, as digital photography grew, Kodak couldn’t adapt quickly enough and filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

Camera Obscura

The camera obscura is a natural phenomenon where rays of light pass through a small hole and into a dark space, forming an image where they strike a surface. This results in an inverted and reversed projection of the view outside. Because this is an act of nature, it is hard to pinpoint its exact origins in photography.

Nicephore Niepce

Nicephore Niepce was the first person who utilised the camera obscura to make an image permanent. In 1826, he first managed to fix an image that was captured with a camera, but because at least eight hours of exposure was needed, his earliest results were very crude. 

Henry Fox Talbot

The process of a photogenic drawing, which Henry Fox Talbot discovered, uses a sheet of writing paper coated in salt and a solution of silver nitrate. He discovered that this paper would darken in the sun and wherever an object would block the light would remain white. In 1835, he then went on to create ‘Mouse Trap’ cameras where this light sensitive paper would be placed into the wooden box and left in front of the subject photographed for several hours to expose. The paper was later treated with chemicals to stabilise the image. 

Daguerreotype

Invented by Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre in 1839, a daguerreotype is a unique image on a silvered copper plate. They were very detailed but heavy and fragile. Unlike Talbot’s process, Daguerre’s images were one-offs and therefore could not produce multiple reproductions of the original image.

Richard Maddox

Richard Maddox invented lightweight gelatin negative plates for photography in 1871. The advantages of this process were that photographers could now use commercial dry plates off the shelf rather than having to prepare everything themselves. These photos also did not have to be developed immediately. 

George Eastman

In 1879, George Eastman obtained a patent on his plate-coating machine where he later sold manufactured dry plates to the public. He made sure his business had mass production at a low cost and would later have worldwide distribution. After eventually announcing the roll of film in 1883, he created the company ‘Kodak’. 

Kodak (Brownie)

The roll of film became the basis for the first Kodak camera, the ‘Brownie’, which was a basic box camera with a single lens. Users received the preloaded camera, took their photographs and then returned it to Kodak where they would develop the film, print the photos and reload the camera with new film before returning it to the customer. 

Digital photography

Russell Kirsch developed the first program computer where he managed to build a drum scanner that allowed him to make the first digital images. In 1969, Willard Boyle and George Smith developed a charge-coupled device and later discovered that if you pair this device with something photosensitive it can become a camera sensor. In 1972, the first digital colour photograph was published.

Best Images (edited)

Best Images (edited)

Colour +tone

Examples of Haas’ work

---

The Evolution of Photography: From Camera Obscura to Digital Imaging

Photography has revolutionized the way we see the world, documenting history, and enabling us to capture memorable moments. It’s a fascinating development story that spans centuries, with key figures contributing to the development of photographic techniques and technology. This blog post will walk you through the fascinating evolution of photography from its old fashioned beginnings to the digital equivalent’s.

---

Camera Obscura

The camera obscura is the earliest known device to project an image. Dating back to as early as the 5th century BC, this optical device was described by ancient Chinese philosopher Mozi and later by Aristotle. The term “camera obscura” itself, meaning “dark chamber” in Latin, was coined by mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler in the early 17th century.

It consisted of a dark room or box with a small hole on one side, allowing light to pass through and project an inverted image of the outside scene onto a surface inside. While no photographs were taken with this device, the camera obscura laid the groundwork for modern photography by demonstrating how images could be captured using light.

---

Nicephore Niepce

Fast forward to the early 19th century, and we meet Nicephore Niepce (1765–1833), the French inventor who created the first permanent photograph. In 1826, Niepce used a process he called “heliography” to capture an image on a polished pewter plate coated with bitumen. This image, titled “View from the Window at Le Gras”, is recognized as the world’s oldest surviving photograph.

Niepce’s method required an exposure time of about eight hours, making it impractical for widespread use. However, his breakthrough was the first significant step towards modern photography.

---

Henry Fox Talbot

While Niepce was making progress in France, an Englishman named Henry Fox Talbot (1800–1877) was experimenting with his own photographic methods. In 1834, Talbot developed a process using paper coated with silver chloride, which darkened when exposed to light. He created the world’s first negative images ( black and white photography).

In 1841, Talbot improved his process by developing the calotype, which allowed for multiple positive prints to be made from a single negative. This was a significant advancement, as it introduced the negative-positive photographic process that would dominate the field for more than a century.

---

Louis Daguerre : the Daguerreotype

Around the same time as Talbot, another Frenchman named Louis Daguerre (1787–1851) made a major contribution to photography. In 1839, he introduced the daguerreotype, a process that created highly detailed images on a polished silver-plated copper sheet. Unlike Talbot’s calotypes, daguerreotypes were one-of-a-kind and could not be reproduced.

The daguerreotype became incredibly popular, especially for portraiture, and remained a dominant photographic process throughout the 1840s and 1850s. Daguerre’s invention is often credited with bringing photography into the public eye and making it accessible to everyday people.

---

Richard Leach Maddox: Dry Plate Photography

In 1871, Richard Leach Maddox (1816–1902), a British physician, revolutionized photography with the invention of the dry plate. Before Maddox, photographers used wet plates, which required immediate processing after exposure, making photography inconvenient.

Maddox replaced the wet collodion process with dry gelatine plates that could be stored for later development. This breakthrough allowed photographers to work more flexibly, as the plates didn’t need to be developed immediately. It was also a crucial step toward more portable and user-friendly cameras.

---

George Eastman: Bringing Photography to the Masses

George Eastman (1854–1932). In 1888, Eastman introduced the Kodak camera, a simple box camera preloaded with a roll of film that could take 100 pictures. The slogan for Kodak’s marketing campaign was “You press the button, we do the rest.”

Eastman’s innovation made photography affordable and accessible to the general public, allowing anyone to capture their own photographs. This democratization of photography marked a turning point in the field, with millions of people embracing the new medium.

---

The Kodak Brownie

Eastman introduced the Kodak Brownie in 1900. This camera was even more affordable than its predecessors and became wildly popular. Priced at just $1, it was marketed towards children and everyday families, making photography a widespread hobby.

The Brownie played a crucial role in establishing snapshot photography, enabling individuals to document everyday moments for the first time in history. Its simple design and affordability made it a game-changer for the industry.

---

The Rise of Digital Photography

In the 1960s and 1970s, the world saw the emergence of digital photography. Scientists at Bell Labs developed the charged-coupled device (CCD) in 1969, a technology that could capture digital images. This paved the way for the first digital cameras in the 1980s.

The transition from film to digital began in earnest in the 1990s. Companies like Kodak and Sony introduced digital cameras that allowed users to store images on memory cards, eliminating the need for film altogether. By the 2000s, digital photography had overtaken film photography in both professional and consumer markets.

Today, digital photography is the standard. We now have access to high-resolution cameras on smartphones, making photography more ubiquitous than ever before.

Aperture

What is it?

Aperture is essentially the amount of light let into the camera which alters the focus. Aperture is measured in f stops (focal length).

Depth of Field

The depth of field is what’s in focus in front or behind the subject.

Focal length and Focus points

Focal length is the distance between the lens and the image sensor when the subject is in focus. It determines how zoomed in or out your photos will be. Shorter focal lengths (like 18mm) capture wider scenes, while longer ones (like 200mm) bring distant subjects closer.

Focus points are the areas in your frame where the camera can focus. More focus points give you greater flexibility to choose what to keep sharp in your photo. You can select a single point for precise focusing or let the camera choose automatically.

Experimenting with aperture

This is a photo with a high aperture – f/2.8

The photo doesn’t have much in focus – the subject – the plane – is the main thing in focus when the rest of the image is out of focus. The higher aperture in the image means that the lens hole is larger which means it lets more light in so there is a smaller depth of field which means less is in focus.

This is a photo with a medium aperture – f/8

This photo was taken using a medium aperture therefore a decent amount of the photo is in focus. The main subject being the plane is fully in focus and most of the background is in focus, however the pencils and marbles at the front of the image are out of focus.

This is a photo with a low aperture – f/22

This photo was taken using a low aperture – f/22, therefore less light is entering the lens, this allows for more of the image to be in focus and ultimately a more detailed image with the subject, foreground and background in focus. – The whole image in is focus.

Experimenting with aperture on cameras

This photo was taken with a decently high aperture estimate – 4-8 – as the main subject is in focus however the foreground and background are out of focus. This means that more light is entering the lens because the aperture is higher so the lens hole is wider. This image worked well because the image focuses on the subject while disregarding the fore, and background. Which is what i was trying to achieve.

This photo was taken with a low aperture, estimation: f/ 18-22. This is because the lower the aperture, the smaller the lens hole is therefore less light is entering the lens which means more of the image is in focus. Because of this lower aperture, almost all of the image is detailed, including the background as it isn’t as blurred as the image above. This image worked pretty well as both subjects are in focus which is what I wanted, however I think the image could improve if perhaps a slightly higher aperture was used to then blur the background while keeping the subjects in focus.

Artists who have experimented with aperture

Uta Barth

Uta Barth is a contemporary artist known for her innovative exploration of perception and visual experience, particularly through photography. Her work often examines the effects of aperture and depth of field, using these technical aspects to challenge the viewer’s understanding of focus and clarity. Barth frequently employs shallow depth of field, blurring elements of her images to create an ethereal quality that encourages contemplation and invites viewers to engage with the act of seeing itself. By manipulating focus, she highlights the ephemeral nature of perception, making viewers acutely aware of the distinctions between what is seen and what is overlooked.

In her series such as “Ground” and “…the windows,” Barth plays with light, space, and composition to construct an immersive visual environment. The interplay between sharp and blurred elements in her photographs can evoke a sense of memory and intimacy, suggesting that perception is not merely about clarity but also about the feelings and thoughts that accompany our visual experiences. Her work invites viewers to reflect on their own perceptions and the inherent subjectivity of seeing, making her contributions to the realm of contemporary photography both intellectually rich and visually striking.

Saul Leiter

Saul Leiter was an influential American photographer and painter, best known for his pioneering work in colour photography during the mid-20th century. His images often feature a unique blend of urban landscapes, street scenes, and intimate moments, characterized by a masterful use of depth of field and a keen sensitivity to colour. Leiter frequently employed shallow depth of field to isolate subjects, drawing attention to details that might otherwise go unnoticed. This technique not only enhances the emotional resonance of his work but also reflects the transient nature of city life, inviting viewers to engage with fleeting moments in a dynamic urban environment.

Leiter’s iconic photographs, often taken in New York City, showcase his ability to juxtapose sharp and blurred elements, creating layers of visual intrigue. His compositions are marked by rich colours and reflections, capturing the interplay of light and shadow that define the urban experience. By blurring the boundaries between the foreground and background, Leiter compels viewers to look closer, exploring the poetry found in everyday scenes. His innovative approach to colour and form has left a lasting legacy, influencing generations of photographers and redefining the possibilities of visual storytelling in photography.

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard was an American photographer renowned for his unique approach to portraiture and his exploration of identity, often employing masks and unconventional settings. His work is characterized by a haunting quality, blending the ordinary with the surreal, and frequently utilizing shallow depth of field to create a dreamlike atmosphere. By focusing on specific details while allowing the background to blur, Meatyard invites viewers to engage with the emotional and psychological layers of his subjects, emphasizing the complexities of human expression and the themes of isolation and alienation.

Meatyard’s photographs often depict family members and friends in eerie, enigmatic settings, where masks serve as both a literal and metaphorical device. This intentional obscuration raises questions about identity and perception, prompting viewers to contemplate the nature of self and the roles we play in society. His masterful use of aperture not only shapes the visual narrative but also enhances the emotional weight of his imagery, reinforcing the sense of mystery and introspection that defines his work. Meatyard’s contributions have had a profound impact on contemporary photography, establishing him as a key figure in the dialogue between art and life.

Ralph Eugene Meatyard and his work with sticks and branches

Ralph Eugene Meatyard was known for his unique approach to photography, especially when he captured images of twigs and branches. He used these natural elements to create mysterious and dreamlike scenes. Instead of focusing on traditional subjects, he made everyday objects look intriguing and artistic. His work often blends the ordinary with a sense of the surreal, inviting viewers to see beauty in simple things.

My work influenced by Meatyard’s Zen twigs

In my photos of twigs and branches, I aimed to capture the beauty and simplicity of nature, inspired by Ralph Eugene Meatyard’s work. I experimented with aperture to control the depth of field. By using a wide aperture, I created a soft background that makes the twigs stand out sharply, adding depth and focus to my images. My goal was to turn these ordinary elements into something intriguing, inviting viewers to see the magic in the everyday.

Different ways of focusing on a camera 

Manual Focus– close ups and fine detail ( use the focus ring on the end of the lens and adjust for each shot) 

Auto Focus– general focus 

What is focal length? 

The focal length of a lens is the optical distance (usually measured in mm) from the point where the light meets inside the lens to the camera’s sensor. 

When light enters the lens, the light gathers at the focal point. Light travels in a straight ray whereas, when it travels through a lens it refracts.
 

What is Aperture? 

Aperture is the opening in a lens which light passes through.  

Aperture is like the “pupil” for your camera system, it can open and close to change the amount of light that passes through. 

What is Depth of field?

depth of field is how much of your image is in focus. Its the distance in an image where objects are acceptably in focus.

Saul Leiter

Saul Leiter was a photographer who used abstract expressionism. He started out as a painter and he was influenced by shapes and colours. He used photography to create his own visions using reality.

He used depth of field in order to have different parts of his image in focus and others out of focus.

Here are some examples:

Lots of his images use large amounts of out of focus areas, drawing our eye to a particular detail or splash of colour.

A window covered with raindrops interests me more than a photograph of a famous person.

Saul Leiter

Images I took

My Images: Outside

Edited Photos

Inspired by Ralph Eugene Meatyard