History of

Photography
 HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
 The History of
Photography is a
matter of technical
growth and of
simultaneous
communicative
growth.
Photography – is a technological invention
that has become the most universal means
of communication and artistic expression
the world has known. It overcomes the
barrier of language difference.
 PHOTOGRAPHIC ERA

 EQUIPMENT
 CAMERA OBSCURA was designed by LEONARDO DA
VINCI and was used by painter / artist for accurate
perspective and scale. Perspective angular relationship of
an object ex: railroad track ( from bigger to small)
 PHOTOGRAPHIC ERA

 Camera Obscura – a box fitted with focusing lens

and mirror that reflected images onto drawing
paper laid over a glass surface in the top. It
became a true photographic camera when a light
sensitive film was inserted for permanently
recording the image formed by the lens.
 CHEMICAL – 1725 – 1777 – light sensitivity of
silver nitrate and silver chloride solution has
been discovered and investigated
 CHEMICAL – 1725-1800 – THOMAS WEDGWOOD and
HUMPHREY DAVY produced “PHOTOGRAMS” no
camera was used but still can photograph by placing
an opaque object such as shell or a leaf on paper with
silver nitrate solution and exposing it to sunlight (but
none of this work was permanent.) 1777 – light
sensitivity of silver nitrate and silver chloride solution
has been discovered and investigated
 TRUE PHOTGORAPHY WAS
ACCOMPLISHED BY THREE (3)
MEN

 JOSEPH NICEPHORE NIEPCE – 1816 – was

able to obtain camera images on paper
sensitized with silver chloride solution.
Fixation was partial.
 TRUE PHOTGORAPHY WAS
ACCOMPLISHED BY THREE (3)
MEN
 LOUIS JACQUES
MANDE DAGUERRE –
Father of
Photography
The man who
perfected
photography’s
chemical processing
 DAGUERREOTYPE
(1889)– the first
practical photography
process. Image was
made permanent by
the use of “HYPO”
 HYPO – an anti-
staining agent like
acetic acid, a
preservative like
sodium sulfite, and a
hardening agent like Above: Daguerreotype,
mid-nineteenth century
potassium alum
 TRUE PHOTGORAPHY WAS
ACCOMPLISHED BY THREE (3)
MEN
 WILLIAM HENRY FOX TALBOT
– 1840 – discovered the
method of developing paper
negative images that greatly
reduces the exposure required
in the camera. He patents the
“CALOTYPE” process, later
called TALBOTYPE – negatives
on paper sensitized with silver
iodine and silver nitrate. These
were contact but
DAGUERREOTYPE was better.
 1819 – JOHN F. W. HERSCHEL –
first PHOTOGRAPHIC CHEMIST:
 He coined the word
“PHOTOGRAPHY” from greek
roots PHOTOS means LIGHT
and GRAPHOS means
DRAWING. He suggested the
terms “NEGATIVE” and
“POSITIVE” to distinguish the
key stages of the photographic
image and coined the word
“SNAPSHOTS”. He made
studies of the sensitivity of
various silver halides to different
colors of light and described the
effect of long wave energy on
the latent image.
 1861 – JAMES CLERK MAXWELL – published
research in color perception and the three color
separation of light.
 1871 – RICHARD LEACH MADDOX – invented
the first truly practical dry-plate negative
process, using gelatine in place of Collodion to
bind silver halides to glass plates.
 1880 – WILLIAM ABNEY – discovered the use of
“HYDROQUINONE” as a developing agent.
 1884 – EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY –
introduced negative paper; it consists of a light
sensitive emulsion or paper which, after
development, is made transparent enough for
printing by treating it with hot castor oil.
 Kodak Company was founded by George
Eastman
 1907 – LUMIERE color was introduced, a
panchromatic film was used but with blue,
green and red filters.
 1912 – FRIEDRICH DECKEL – invented the
“compur” shutter, which uses gears to control
slow speeds and a clockwork movement to
control fast speeds.
 1914 – EASTMAN
KODAK
introduced two
(2) color
subtractive
process called
“KODACHROME”.
21 years later a
three (3) color
process came
out.
 1923 – EASTMAN
KODAK – amateur
movie-making
becomes possible
with the
introduction of
16mm reversal
black and white
film.
 1929 – J. OSTERMEIER – produced the
first commercially acceptable self
contained flash bulb: aluminum foil
sealed in an oxygen-filled bulb.
 1932 – WESTON ELECTRIC INSTRUMENT
CO. – produced the first PHOTOELECTRIC
EXPOSURE METER.
 1936 – Agfacolor reversal film is introduced.
 1947 – EDWIN H. LAND – introduced
POLAROID “one-step photography” with a
self-processing black-and-white film that
yields a positive print by the diffusion
transfer reversal method.
 1960 – LASER was invented, making
possible HOLOGRAPHY by the principles
developed in 1947 by DENNIS GABOR.
 L A S E R – Light Amplification and Stimulation
in the Emission of Radiation.
 Scientist have defined the speed of light to
exactly 299, 792, 458 meters per second or
approximately 186,000 miles per second.
END of PRESENTATION