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FIXING THE SHADOWS

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.

History of Photography

Camera Obscura

Nicephore Niepce

Henry Fox Talbot

Daguerreotype

Richard Maddox

George Eastman

Kodak (Brownie)

Digital photography

Fixing The Shadows


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.

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The evolution of photography spans centuries and involves countless innovations by pioneers who changed the way we capture images. From the camera obscura to digital photography, this journey highlights how far we’ve come in terms of technology and accessibility. Today, anyone with a smartphone can take a photograph in an instant, thanks to the groundbreaking work of figures like Nicephore Niepce, Louis Daguerre, and George Eastman.

~ Oliver Fus

Aperture, Depth of Field, Focal length and Focus Points

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 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 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 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.

Focus Control & Aperture

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

Fixing The Shadows

Camera Obscura.

The main concept behind ‘Camera Obscura’ (latin for dark chamber) is a device used (first conceptualised in the 5th Century (BCE). The camera obscura projects an inverted image of the outside scene onto the (pitch black) rooms surface through a pinprick hole (or lens). After the discovery of this, scientists were intrigued and attempted to find ways to ‘Fix the Shadows’ (create a permanent fixture of the image. In the 16th century artists like Leonardo Da Vinci used this camera – for purposes like studying light and perspective – and versions of the camera obscura were engineered to become portable. – creating the first ‘camera’

How the camera obscura worked

Nicephore Niepce.

Nicephore Niepce created the worlds first permanent photograph using the camera obscura, and a pewter plate coated in bitumen of Judea – Bitumen hardened when it was exposed to light and the unexposed areas were washed away.

First permanent photograph

Louis Daguerre

Louis Daguerre invented the daguerreotype – the first public photographic process. The daguerreotype produces very detailed images on a polished, silver plated copper sheet. He created this by collaborating with Niepce, a pioneer, but after he died, Daguerre continued to refine their ideas – leading to the Daguerrotype. The daguerreotype could not be reproduced but its quality and details were unmatched. The daguerreotype process involved exposing a coated copper plate to iodine vapor to make it light sensitive, the developing it with mercury vapor – then fixing the shadows with a salt solution. This became widely popular for portraits due to its detail and short exposure times – the daguerreotype dominated the photography market until new breakthroughs were discovered.

Examples of a daguerrotype photograph

Henry Fox Talbot

Talbot had a scientific background in chemistry which directly influenced his experiments. Talbot played a crucial role in the development of early photography. (working around the same time as Louis Daguerre). Invented the calotype process, which is one of the first photographic processes to create negatives. This allows for multiple prints from one negative – a MAJOR development. Some would say this fixed, and multiplied the shadows. The calotype process involves paper painted with silver chloride. His first book ‘The Pencil of Nature’ was made with photo prints inside it – demonstrating the practical uses for photography – this probably played a key role in the development of photography because it showed entrepreneurs the business potential – putting money into the industry.

The calotype

Richard Maddox

Maddox was a scientist and amateur photographer who invented the gelatine dry plate because he was worried about the different chemicals used in other methods of photography. The gelatine dry plate replaced the wet collodion process which allowed for greater flexibility because it eliminated the need to do all the work from coating and developing on site. Instead the dry plates could be stored and used later which greatly reduced the amount of equipment required on the scene. The dry plate used gelatine to suspend silver bromide on a glass plate. Maddox’s invention made photography a lot more accessible to amateurs which gave incentive to make more dry plates. The dry plate was a decent step towards the development of film.

“Instantaneous Gelatine Plate”

George Eastman + Kodak Brownie.

George Eastman was the founder of Kodak – the company that revolutionised and commercialised early photography. Taking a photo was now a product you can buy. By simplifying the product with the use of his newly invented roll film  -George Eastman managed to create the Kodak Brownie – the camera with the slogan “You press the button, we do the rest”. This was a revolutionary step in the right direction for photography – the roll film was able to be produced because it was on flexible plastic instead of glass – making it miles more compact. The Brownie cost only $1 and really popularizes photography among the masses. Eastman also was a key player in the industrialisation of film because he saw the business potential. Kodak was also a key player of the invention of colour photography while under Eastman’s ownership – this was due to their invention of Kodachrome film which is not the standard for colour film photography. Overall Eastman was the start of consumer photography – it was no longer a hobby for the rich or the ones with loads of time – it was cheap, easy and not very time consuming.

The Kodak Brownie

Digital Photography

In the modern age – digital is king, it has completely taken over. Film photography is seen as a hobby in and of itself and is increasingly more expensive due to factories closing down and sales reducing. The digital camera was invented by Steven Sasson at Kodak in 1975. The technology used was a CCD which was essentially a sensor that converts light into digital signals. In the 80s the digital camera improved continually because sensors were becoming more and more sensitive and sophisticated however most cameras actually weren’t fully digital and used analog video technology. In the 90s digital cameras were becoming more commercial because the camera companies were releasing cameras that used memory cards which was much more practical.. The invention of the DSLR in the late 90s further boosted the industry because of being able to change the lenses and a much larger image quality. Following this, point and shoot cameras became more popular because they allowed regular consumers to make memories without having to learn manual settings and having a large cameras all the time.

This is the general timeline of photography – from super basic methods of recording real life scenes, to the highly advanced and refined DSLR cameras we live with daily now.

Fixing The Shadows

1928 is the midpoint between the invention of photography and our current digital age.

Camera Obscura

photography was created in 1839, in this same year a Frenchman ( Louis Daguerre ) and an Englishman ( Henry Fox Talbot ) announced that they had created a process that rivals photography called ‘Fixing the Shadows’. However the idea of photography had been around for far longer than this new idea called ‘Fixing The Shadows’ .

To create camera obscura you must be in a room and use some cloth or some other black fabric to cover up the windows and turn off all other light sources in the room then all you need to do is cut a tiny hole in the fabric you have used to cover the windows and that’s how you’ll get your image. Camera obscura shows how diverse photography can be, as you need darkness to see the light. The only issue they found when using camera obscura is that the images are upside down when you look through the camera. Many people enjoyed using camera obscura as it is completely natural and leaves many people dumbfounded.

Romanticism

The early invention of photography coincided with the era we now call the romanticism era. As many of the ideas and beliefs of romanticism greatly contributed to the early experimentations of photography, which has helped it become what it is today.

Chemical developments (early 1800s)

the break through for camera obscura came with the observation that certain chemicals are light sensitive. Such as silver salts and silver chloride. So these were used to create images, however they ran into issues when they realised they couldn’t stop the image from developing, so the image they wanted would over develop and turn black.

when they first started discovering using chemicals the first ever trial, Humphry Davy soaked a piece of leather with the chemicals and got a botanical specimen directly onto the leather and exposed it to sunlight, and that is when they saw a first image start to appear. This led into the marketable photographic process in 1839.

Dageurrotype

Louis Daguerre invented the dageurrotype process in 1837. To make a dageurrotype you need a sheet of copper that is plated with a thin coat of silver, this is then cleaned and polished to a mirror finish . Once it is sensitized it needs to be kept in a light proof container with iodine and bromine vapours, until the surface turns yellow. To develop the image you must place the plate over a source of heated mercury fumes until the images appears, this creates a milky white image. Now the image is fixed and is not developing any further.

Nicephorus Niepce

Was a French inventor and one of the earliest inventors of photography, who died on the 7th of March 1765. Niepce invented heliography, which is a technique that has created some of the oldest surviving products of a photo.

Joseph Nicephorus Niepce first experiments is uncertain, but they stemmed from his interest in lithography and the camera obscura. Niepce’s first images were captured on silver chloride-coated paper, which were particularly difficult to fix, later moving on to using Bitumen of Judea ( a light sensitive asphalt which is used in etching ) Niepce’s successful camera photography was between 1822 and 1827 and was rediscovered in 1952. In 1829 he partnered with Louis Daguerre to develop Physautotype, whoever after Niepce passed away Daguerre continued the research on his own. A few years later the Government ending up buying Daguerres proccess rewarding him and Niepce.

Henry Fox-Talbot

Henry Fox-Talbot is accomplished in all sorts of things, however drawing was one thing he could never master. Despite not being able to draw Henry decided he was destined to get the colourful 3-dimentional world onto a piece of paper, this is when the idea of camera obscura and chemistry came together.

George Eastman and Kodak

Originally Eastman was working as a bank teller, until he became interested in photography when he decided he wanted to document one of his trips. He ending up becoming more interested in photography than going on his vacation (which he never ended going on) Eastman revolutionised photography by miles, by now producing that we now even take for granted which is a roll of film.

A few years later after producing the roll of film Eastman used the same concept to create the first “amateur camera” called the Kodak camera. The word Kodak means nothing, this is a word he came across when playing with anagrams with his mother. The reason that he had chosen this word is because he enjoyed the fact it started with a K which was a strong and incisive letter. So he thought what better to way to sell a product than to have a name people are going to remember. As well as the fact the word has no alternate meanings.

The Kodak revolution turned the empire of photography into a republic. And the emblem of this revolution was the distinctive circular prints. The first generation of the amateur photographers were called the Kodak Fiends.

Digital Photography

1969 was the heart of digital photography. William Boyle and George Smith developed a device that they called a charged-couple device which ended up being given a common name of a CCD. It used a row of tiny metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors to store infromation as electrical charges. This does the same function as the magentic tape in the older cameras.

Anna Atkins

Anna Atkins made her images with cyanotype photography. The first use of cyanotype photography was in 1843 and it was used it illustrate a book. This is the method of tracing shapes with light on photosensitive surfaces, and this has been an early repertoire of photography.

The cyanotype is a slow-reacting photographic printing formulation which is sensitive to ultraviolet and the blue light spectrum. It produces a blue monochrome print. To stop the developing of the chemicals you must use water to fix the image onto the paper.

My Cyanotype

We went outside and out either flowers or leaves that we would like to include on our cyanotype. we got the special cyanotype paper with the chemicals on it and placed our plant on top. to secure the plant to make sure it didn’t move in the wind of outside, we placed a piece of Perspexs on top of the plants and left them to sit for about 20 minutes in the sun. Then we fixed th eimages with water and here is my finshed product.

Summer Task Aaron Siskind

Aaron Siskind was born on December 3rd 1904, he was an editor, American teacher and photographer who is mostly known for his beautiful innovations in abstract photography. He received his first camera as a wedding gift in 1929. He used film. He takes super graphic photos of hyper-textured walls, peeling paint, rusty things, elements of writing on old machinery and signs and more. His photos are hyper detailed and have a very high contrast. I love his abstract photos and aspire to take photos like him. I love how they all have a matching style and have a strange, nostalgic feeling attached to them.