Basic+Photo+History

4**Important Photo History Facts:**

- The word photography literally means light and writing in Greek.

- Camera obscura - //dark room, Latin. A small hole in one end of a black box or room; when the light passes through the hole, the object is inverted and projected on the// opposite side.

- Sir John Hershel first coined the term photography on March 14th, 1839.

- Some people thought that photography was a threat because painting would soon cease to exist. Some people also viewed photography as a threat to the art world because they thought it was impossible, and it would be ridiculous to even try to capture an image. They also thought that it was insulting God because he “created man in his own image”, and no machine should try to fix God's image.

- Photography changed the purpose of painting from which one focused on outwards facts of reality to more emphasis on personal vision.

- Photography also helped painters. With photography painters could take a picture of a subject and work from the picture instead of having numerous sittings.

-Three photographers Nephore Niepce, Henry Fox Talbot, and Louis Dagurerre are credited with the invention of the first photographic process.

Nephore Niepce used materials that hardened when exposed to light. Some of the problems with this process is that the exposure time was eight hours, and he did not know how to keep the image on a surface permanently.


 * Purposes for communication for the camera:**

Persuasion: convinced that illustrations sold goods- political or social

Social change: provides a look into different lives

Cultural identity: how different cultures lived- raise awareness, how perceived (may be bias), point of view.

Art: art is really just for beauty and just for art sake


 * Types of photography:**

Ambrotype: Invented about 1854, then lost it’s popularity in the 1860’s. A glass negative with a black background that makes the image appears positive.

Daguerreotype: Invented in 1939. Uses a polished sliver plated sheet of metal and easily recognized by its mirror like surface. The plate has to be held at the correct angle to the light for the image to be visible. These images are very sharp and detailed.

Calotype: Invented in 1840’s. Print paper made from a paper negative. Had lack of sharp detail, soft focus is due to the use of paper negative. Stereotype: Invented in 1854. Having two almost identical images side by side by side-by-side recognizes these images. When look through viewer give a 3d look.