History of Photography

UNIT 57 PHOTOGRAPHY- History of Photography and My Relationship with Photography 

Introduction;
The task was to research the history of photography and how photography was established. We had to find out facts about the history of photography and the dates photography were invented.

What I learnt:
I learnt that history of photography is very important to understand why we take photos. We have to understand the history behind photography to take a great photo. The history of photography can inspire us to take great, meaningful photos. Also, there were no challenges as the research was interesting to research.

How will this help me:
This will help me because I know have a deeper understanding about the history behind the photograph and photography.

History of Photography

When was the first Photograph taken?

The first photograph was taken in 1826 by Joseph Nicephore Niepce who was an inventor and the first photographer so to say seeing as he invented photography. The early technique that he used was known as heliography which was the process of using the sun to react with substances in order to capture images. This was the first instance of photography being done on film

Timeline/History of Photography

• In 1834 a man named Henry Fox Talbot created permanent negative images using paper soaked in silver chloride. In order to turn them into positive images he would then put that image on another sheet of paper and through physical contact the photo would transfer.
• In 1855 the stereoscopic era began. Stereoscopic photography is when there are two parts to see down known as a stereoscope. There is one for the left and one for the right eye. Viewing the image through a stereoscope helps our brains combine the two flat images and the objects how there should look. This is because if we see the image through only one eye through a singular scope then it will look different to how the other eye see it. Stereoscopic photography was the main form between 1850 and the early 1900's producing millions of photos throughout this period
• The first Kodak camera came around in 1888 which was invented and patented by a man name George Eastman. Thus starting the beginning of the Kodak camera company. Eastman also started manufacturing paper film which was later perfected into a roll of film. Eastman began supplying this film to world renown inventor Thomas Edison.
• The first 35mm Film for a camera was invented by Thomas Edison in the early 1890's. The film stock supplied to Edison was originally 40mm which he and his assistant would trim donw to 34.9mm. This is how 35mm film came to be. The first 35mm Camera however wasn't actually invented/perfected until 1913/14 by a man named Oskar Barnack.
• In 1900 the first mass marketed camera came out, again made by Kodak with Eastman giving the initial presentation for it. It was called the Brownie. The camera was on sale until the 1960's.
• Polaroid photography began to come onto the scene in the 1930's and was fully established as a method of photography in the late 1940's
• The polaroid camera company was founded in 1937 by Edwin H Land who left Harvard in 1926 after his freshman year in order to pursue his own research on light polarization
• In 1947 Land presented a demonstration of the first instant camera and wowed the audience at the meeting. In 1948 the first camera developed by Land was sold for $89.95 at a department store in Boston. The model '95 Land' camera became the prototype for all Polaroid Land cameras produced during the next 15 years.
• In 1963 Polaroid introduced the Polacolour which was the first instant colour film to be used in a camera allowing for instant colour pictures 
• Since the 1960's every few years or so the Polaroid company have been releasing newer models of Polaroid cameras by innovating based upon what the last model did right. They are still releasing products today with camera models working digitally, faster and are even more compact so now rather than having to carry them around in bags they can fit in ones pocket.
• The first commercial digital camera was invented by none other than the Kodak company. It was created by a man named Steve Sasson who is regarded as the inventor of the digital camera in December 1975. Although it was experimental it was a digital camera in the way that we know it due to the fact that it recorded images onto a chip known as a CCD chip rather than onto tape.
• However digital cameras were used at other points before this. During the space race and other points during the Cold War digital cameras would have been used by both the Americans and The Russians. Both sides realised that if a satellite could be carried into space then they could carry a camera also. However there wouldn't be ways to develop film if it was stuck in space so digital cameras were invented so that film wasn't needed. They could take photographs and send the signal back to Earth which could then be decoded and viewed.
• After camera companies learned that they could use a CCD chip in that way they began to use it for their own gain and so they were then able to start producing their own cameras also. Once this could be done for still images, the technology would have been developed so that video could also use this. The advantage to this over using film is that the devices can be more compact and easier to edit, upload and transfer once the technology to do so became available.
• In 1990 Photoshop became available meaning now photos could be edited/manipulated
• As a result of the digital age, in 2004 Kodak stopped the production of film cameras so that they could make digital photography their main focus

My Relationship with Photography

In terms of how I have used photography in my life and how it relates to me I have pretty much used photography to capture moments in my life or have others capture them for me. I use photography in this was specifically in order to have a memory to share or in order to go with a story that I can tell. One thing about photos that I take is that essentially most of them have a story to go with them and therefore they are very sentimental to me. I haven't ever really used photography as a means of artistic expression but have however often used them in a comedic way either to share with my friends or on social media. I also like going through old photos from years ago every now and again whether they be of me, old holidays or family members as a means of nostalgia and having a good memory that is personal to me.

Selfies

A selfie as defined by Google is a photo taken by one ones self either using a smartphone or a webcam that is usually shared on social media or with other people. Selfies have become very popularized among today's youth especially since they are easy to take and share. It's become a part of celebrity culture and can even become someones livelihood with people making money off of the selfies or pictures they take of themselves off of websites like Instagram.  There are even apps such as snapchat and various faceswap apps that are solely selfie based  add an extra layer to taking and sharing selfies. A lot of social media sights have the ability to take selfies built into them so one can be taken and shared straight away.