Pre-Digital Photographic Technology
Camera obscura was created by French inventor and early pioneer of photography, Joseph Nicephore Niepce. This invention was made of box with lens adapted on a hole, projecting the inverted image of the outside view (Niepce, n.d.). For photography, they use sheets of silver salts coated paper which was known to blacken in daylight. as an aid for drawing, the subject must pose outside to invert the image reflection on the piece of paper for artist to trace.
Dry Plate Collodion (1871)
Dry Plate Collodion impacts photojournalism is because of photography's development. Dry Plates were used for exposure in the light to capture the image. Collodion process was revolutionary photographic process, giving photojournalists opportunity to take photograph any place they wanted (Brandreth, n.d). The dry plates could be stored and loaded into the camera as to developed at time after exposure (Bussey, n.d.).
[Photo Taken by Isaiah Darden. Jill Mccarthy and unnamed individual waiting to start the NCAA meeting. taking place in Springfield, Massachusetts. 9/25/2023. This photo was taken during the NCAA reading, because of how subtle for audience to know what going on in the scene.]
In my freshman year, I was using the camera in Digital Photography class. When I used the camera for the first time, this camera allows different features to adjust the light and exposure. However, when photography was invented in 1800s, I can only image they used organic materials to capture the moment to the picture. Without digital technology, they used dry plates and artists to sketches the pictures for the photographers. Both are known to take pictures in different technologies, even when it started to develop more throughout the timeline - 1800s - Present.
Photojournalism was developed by old technology from 1800s for people with artistic vision. According to John Nordell video, Before There Were Pixel - Part 1, he stated that "photograph had no idea what the body looked like frozen in the air". Even when photographers taken pictures, they allow artist to trace down the pictures through the image reflection. In another video, Before There Were Pixel - Part 2, John Nordell pointed out that "Those who interest in visual aspect of faraway places, either they go there or content themselves with artists renderings", meaning people who have interest in visual perspective they allow to explore their discovery or relying on artists for sketches. I discover the aspects of history of photography, giving me an impression of how Nicephore Niepce was the first pioneer who created photography earlier.
During the civil war, Roger Fenton takes his image of his photographic van as he tried to use his photos to document the war. I started to feel like Roger Fenton taken a picture of his van, just so his image can be traced by artist sketches. According to Weegee's biography, his ability is choosing the moments to take a picture of the events that he photographed. In other words, he took pictures of significant events that he must capture the moment as a photographer.
Citations
- Tadson B. (2023, March 21.) Bringing back the past – Dry plate photography. Retrieved from https://www.ucda.com/journal/dry-plate-photography/
- Brandreth, Nick. (n.d.). George Eastman Museum. Dry Plates in the Woods: Using 19th Century Photographic Processes to Capture Letchworth State Park. Retrieved from https://www.eastman.org/node/5335#:~:text=Dry%20plates%20are%20pieces%20of,take%20photographs%20anywhere%20they%20wanted.
- Nordell, John. (2013, May 25). Before There Were Pixel – Part 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ4JfnPkgcA
- Nordell, John. (2013, May 26). Before There Were Pixel – Part 2 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqZ1mv3ngS0
- Morgan, David. (2013, July 7). The Civil War: The birth of photojournalism. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-civil-war-the-birth-of-photojournalism/
Comments
Post a Comment