Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. History of Commercial Photography
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. The History of Photography ● Depending on what you consider a camera or photograph to be, photography can date back either a few hundred years or much longer than that. ● Anyway you slice it, the history of photography is filled with interesting tales and is quite dramatic. Photo from the creative commons.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Photography is Important ● We see hundreds of photos every single day. ● In order to understand and appreciate photography, it is important to look back and see how cameras and photos have developed over the years.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Events ● Many events over the past several centuries have defined what we call photography today. ● There are several key people and moments that shaped the future of photography. ● In this presentation, we will discuss a few of those moments and people, and how they affected photography.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. The First Camera ●One of the first types of cameras in the world was the “camera obscura.” oIt was a room with a small hole on one side that allowed an image to be projected inside. ●To the right is an image that displays how a camera obscura worked. ●During the next 50 years, modifications were made on this same basic design to make it both smaller and more mobile. Photo from the public domain.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Making Images Permanent ● Eventually, a man named Joseph Niepce developed a way to take photographs that stuck around. Photo from the public domain. ●Niepce worked with Louis Daguerre. ●The image on the right is the first permanent photograph, taken in 1826 by Joseph Niepce. ○ The exposure time of this image was eight hours. ○ These early permanent photos were named “Daguerrotypes.”
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Different Methods ● After the daguerrotype was created, several more antique photographic methods were developed. Each improved upon the previous. Below are some of the most common: o Daguerrotype ( ) – Made on silver and subject to tarnish. o Ambrotype ( ) – Made on glass. Didn’t tarnish, but was subject to cracking and flaking. o Tintype ( ) – Made on tin. Didn’t tarnish or crack away. An example daguerrotype. Photo from the public domain.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Bringing Photography to the Masses ● George Eastman was the person who first brought photography to the masses. ● He created and sold a simple box camera that featured a fixed focus lens and roll film that fit inside and allowed people to take multiple photos. o This was the first time that cameras were cheap enough and easy enough to use that the public could purchase and use them. Photo from the public domain.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Evolution of the Camera ● The “Brownie” camera was introduced in the 1900s. o It made photography even cheaper, and popularized the “snapshot.” ● In the 1940s instant film was popularized by the public. ● In the 1980s disposable cameras were developed.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Digital Photography ● In the 2000s and more recently, photography has moved away from film and embraced the digital world. ● This adjustment made it easier and cheaper for people to take photos, without having to worry about using up film. They were also able to immediately view a shot. ● Instead of being made to work with film, cameras were outfitted with digital sensors. Photos from the public domain.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Commercial Photography ● Once photographs became reproducible and of high quality, photography was welcomed as not just an art form, but as a means of commercialism too. ● People with enough money to purchase above average photography equipment, and with professional level skills, created careers/jobs, such as fashion photographer, product photographer and much more.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Social Media ● Social media and the advent of cameras being built into cell phones made it very easy for amateurs to gain an interest in photography. o It also helped amateur photographers share their work online. ● This also allowed a whole new generation of photographers to become well-known, based entirely on the general public following their social media accounts. Image provided by Will Milne, Denton ISD.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. The Future ● Cameras continue to increase in ability each and every day. ● Currently, cameras are evolving in a few different areas, such as: o Low light ability, camera size, shutter speeds, megapixels, built in internet/editing capabilities and the ability to record video
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Review ● One of the first types of cameras was the camera obscura. ● Daguerrotypes helped to make photographs permanent. ● George Eastman helped bring photography to the masses. ● Digital photography made it easier and cheaper for the public to get involved with photography. ● Professional equipment and skills allow people to pursue photography as a career.