1. History of Photography
Objective: The student will be
able to understand the evolution
of the photographic process
from its beginning to its
present day form.
Slide 1
There have been 4 catalysts or
major shifts in the development of
photography.
Discuss
Cornell
Note Taking
Tips
Indicate each slide #.
There are 30…but do
NOT prenumber.
Spread out and do
NOT write on the back.

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Photo by Drew Loker

3. Catalysts come in many forms
 What is a catalyst for you doing well in school?
 What was the catalyst for the cell phone?
Slide 1a

4. 300 B.C.
Aristotle
observed the effect
of the camera obscura.
Slide 2
Saw the aspect of how light forms an image when constricted to a
very small opening
camera obscura

5. camera - obscura
chamber - dark
Slide 2a

6. Leonardo Da Vinci
experimented
with the camera obscura in 1490.
Slide 3
He used it to help with his drawings

7. Camera Obscura in a tent

8. Slide 3b
Early Obscuras

9. Girl with a Pearl Earring
 A young peasant maid, working in the house of
painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth),
becomes his talented assistant (Scarlett Johansson)
and the model for one of his most famous works.
Slide 3b1

10. Pinhole Camera –
Modern Day Camera Obscuras
Slide 3b4

11. Obscura in YOUR room…
Slide 3c

12. Slide 3c2

13. Slide 3d

14. Slide 3d2
My former neighbor

15. Making a
Camera
Obscura… and
turning it into a
camera by putting
a piece of photo
paper in it.
 http://users.rcn.com/stewoody/makecam.htm
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/archers_eye/230775611/ Slide 3e1

16. Fortunately, your camera is ready to go
1. As you come into the classroom, get two (2) pinhole cameras. Take note if any comments have been written on the bottom of the
camera regarding the exposure (i.e. exposure compensation).
2. After you get your camera, head straight to the darkroom with your paper safe, your camera, and your supply coupon. Keep your
photo paper safes at your station so when you finish your first set of picture, you can reload.
3. Buy your photo paper. (We buy in small amounts so we don't have to worry about waste...or damage...or theft.)
4. To conserve paper, you may choose to cut down your paper to 5x8 for your first round of pictures.
5. Put your name only, very small, along the very edge of your paper (on the back). Do NOT put your name in the center. Also TRY to
put the camera number you used for that sheet of paper.
6. Load your pinhole camera(s) with a sheet of paper, either 5x8 or 8x10. The 8x10 sheet paper will be horizontal in the box. Or, if you
are doing a 5x8, it will be vertical. In the case of the vertical, you will want to put a small piece of masking tape behind the paper to
keep it pressed against the back of the container. The emulsion should be facing the lens of the camera. IOW, the armadillo is doing a
back bend inside the Oatmeal can. Be careful to notice that the shutter is closed and that you have placed the black sheet over the end
secured with a rubber band.
7. Go outside and find a picture you want to capture. You will only be getting one or two shots...maybe three, tops. So, make them
count. If you got two cameras, you can shoot both at the same time. You might want to try a self portrait with one of your pictures.
Try staying very still during the entire exposure. Or, staying very still during half of the exposure and then getting out of the picture
during the exposure.
8. Position the pinhole camera so that it will be very steady. Try to find an evenly lit scene. Avoid pointing the camera directly at the
sun. It could starburst, but more than likely it will just blow out the paper (solid black).
9. Carefully open the shutter. Be very careful that the camera does not move during the exposure. I will give the exposure time
during class, but generally, if it is sunny, your exposure will be 30-60 seconds. If it is completely overcast, the exposure could be as
long as 5-7 minutes.
10. Carefully close the shutter.
11. Return to the darkroom and remove the photo paper and process.
12. Repeat process, increasing and decreasing time for your camera and/or specific scene. Remember, you are shooting a
NEGATIVE…so light areas will appear dark. So, it is normal to have a dark negative. However, there should be some light parts of
the pictures. If your print is TOO dark, there might be something wrong with your camera.
Slide 3e2

17. Slide 3e3
Strange? Don’t ask me…there is a strange fascination
with getting IN your own shot because the exposure
times are sometimes as long as 5 minutes.

18. Pinhole Camera –
V61 Porch – by Julie Canant
Slide 3g

19. Slide 3b
Slide 3hShow Giant Portable Camera by John Chiara

20. Camera Obscura Analogy
Camera Obscura was to the Early Artist
like the
Digital Camera is to the New
Photography Explosion
Slide 3i

21. Silver salts turn dark
Johan Schulze discovered that
silver salts darken
when exposed to light
in 1727.
(They started making Photograms…but
they were temporary.)
Slide 4

22. Silver Salts Turn to Metal
1777
Carl William Scheele
discovered
silver salts darken
because they have been
converted to metallic silver.
Slide 5

23. Image Made Permanent
1819
Sir John Herschel
used
Sodium thiosulfate
to make
the image permanent
(FIXER)
Slide 6

24. The word “Photography”
given by Hershel
Greek Origin:
Photo – graph = light – writing
OR
“Writing with light.”
Slide 6a

25. Writing with Light
Slide 6b

26.  Show Sprint
Commercial (time
permitting)
Writing with Light
 Light Warfare
(from YouTube)

27. Thomas Kincaid is
the
MASTER
of
Painting with
Light

28. First Recorded Exposure, 1826
Joseph N. Niepce exposed first image for 8 hours
entered into partnership with Daguerre; he died before process was perfected.
Slide 7Niepce called this process "heliography" or sun drawing

29. 1839…a busy year for photography
A Daguerreotype and Calotype were being
developed simultaneously.
Slide 8
Daguerreotype on the left…tilt the tray at an angle when
it comes around to you…it’s the shiny one

30. Daguerreotype, 1839
1839
Louis Daguerre
made the
Daguerreotype,
a silver image
on a copper plate.
Slide 8a

31. It took from 5 to
40 minutes to
expose, although
by 1841 the
process was
improved to less
than one minute.
Slide 8a
Daguerreotype, silver image

32. 5 Min Exposure
 I stood in each place
for 1.5 minutes.
 5 Minutes made for a
proper exposure of
the building…but not
for me in any one of
the places I stood.
 Side note – this is an
Infrared photo
 A filter was used to
only record IR light.
 IR light is the same
light that a TV
remote uses.

33. Some pics from the Wall of Water

34. Long Exposures are fun…especially with digital
6 – 10 minute exposures stacked (60’ mins total)…taken in Breckenridge, CO , 11/2009. It was so cold (10◦), I set
the camera up, then ran back to the car across 50 yards of snow and rocks 6 times.

35. Daguerre’s process involved
treating a thin sheet of silver-plate
with fumes from heated crystals
of iodine to make it light sensitive.
It was developed by vapors of
heated mercury.
Slide 8b
Daguerre’s process involved
treating a thin sheet of silver-plate
with fumes from heated crystals
of iodine to make it light sensitive.
It was developed by vapors of
heated mercury.

36. Disadvantages of the Daguerrotype:
 Reversed image
 One per exposure
 Shiny surface – limited
view angle
Slide 9

37. Calotype by Talbot, 1839
1839
William Henry Fox Talbot
developed the
Calotype, the first
negative-positive system.
Slide 10
• Daguerreotypes were better than calotypes in terms of detail and quality,
but could not be reproduced;
• Calotypes were reproducible, but suffered from the fact that any print
would also show the imperfections of the paper.
• Calotypes also required longer exposures.
Very similar to what you are doing with your Photogram & Pinhole cameras

38. First American Photographer
1839
Samuel Morse
was the first
American
photographer.
Slide 11
Morse's first portraits were made using
exposures of between 10 and 20 minutes, which
must have been an unbelievable ordeal to the
sitters!

39. Slide 11a

40. Slide 11b

41. Albumin from eggs
1848
M. Niepce de
Saint-Victor
introduced
albumin process
from hen eggs.
Slide 12
Calotypes passed the imperfections of the paper negative. The answer was
to use glass. Albumin allowed for the chemicals to adhere to
glass…providing very fine detail and much higher quality.

42. Collodion by Archer, 1851
1851
Frederick Archer
introduced the
collodion
process.
Slide 13http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyf8fQOdvDs – The Wet Plate Collodion Process

43. Wet Collodion on Glass
1854
Wet Collodion process
on glass
(Ambrotype)
requires less
exposure.
Slide 14
Collodion was a viscous liquid that dried as a very thin film…ideal for
dressing and protecting wounds (still available today). It used to make the
exposure time even quicker, 2-3 sec seconds. It was used on a glass base
making for even sharper images.

44. Wet Collodion, 7/4/1890
Slide 14a

45. Slide 14b

46. Early cameras
 Although pretty old looking, you can still buy a camera
like the above.
Slide 14c

47. Large Cameras are still very much used today.
 Only recently have digital backs for these camera become
available…for a cool $30k.
 (I’ll show a video clip later from another part of this movie.) Slide 14d

48. Tintype, 1856
1856
Hamilton Smith
introduced the
Ferrograph
or Tintype.
Slide 15
• Similar emulsion as a Collodian, but this type of print was on a metallic plate (not
glass). Emulsion was spread onto the plate, resulting in a laterally reversed image
(i.e. no negative) in a one stage process.
• They were not made on tin, it was a way of saying “cheap metal”, not silver. Low
quality (poor tonal quality).
• Was very popular with the soldiers because it held up to the elements (rain).
Photographers would show up to army encampments.
• Faster to produce and less expensive since there was no negative…popular with
street photographers…even into the 1950s despite being outdated by 1880.

49. Photography Tax Stamp
1862-66
The United States
Federal Government
imposed a stamp
tax on photography.
Slide 16

50. Mathew Brady – Civil War
1860’s
Mathew Brady,
a portrait photographer,
is noted for
the coverage of
the Civil War.
Slide 17
Brady was a student of Samuel Morse. Because of Brady, War
Photography took on a new LIFE, bringing the images of war to the home
for the first time. His refinements to make photography more practical in
the field were key to the technological development of photography.

51. Slide 17a
Mathew Brady photo

52. Slide 17b
Alexander
Gardner
photo

53. Slide 17c
Dead Confederate Soldier with rifle

54. Slide 17d
Former slaves collecting bones of soldiers killed in the Battle of
Cold Harbor over a year after the battle was fought.

55. Slide 17e
A photograph of the crowd during the dedication of the
Gettysburg National Cemetery. Notice the blurred people.

56. Dry Plate
1871
Dr. R. L. Maddox
in Britain
produced the first
commercial
dry plate.
Slide 18
Prior to this, people still had to pour on the
chemicals on the medium. This would be like
getting up each morning and having to make
your pop-tarts from scratch.

57. First Motion Pictures
1872
Eadweard Muybridge
used 24 cameras in
sequence to record horses
running. (first study in
animal locomotion)
Slide 19
This technique is used still today in movies like Matrix to show stop action.

58. Slide 19a
The 24 cameras were lined up down a track…and then fired as the race
horse passed by.
First Motion Pictures

59. Slide 19b
The 24 cameras were lined up down a track…and then fired as the race
horse passed by.
First Motion Pictures

60. Slide 19c

61. George Eastman
1880
George Eastman
marketed dry plates &
later introduced the first
flexible roll film on a
paper base. This made
photography popular for the
average person.
Slide 20http://www.kodak.com/global/en/corp/historyOfKodak/1878.jhtml?
pq-path=2699&pq-locale=en_US

62. $25 is still a lot today…but
back then…this was the
equivalent of $2,140. Even
still…this was VERY
appealing to many more
people than previously
possible.
Slide 20c
The Kodak Camera
Cost $25.00. It
made 100 2.5”
round photos. After
taking the pictures,
you sent the
camera to Kodak to
process the film.
Kitty Kramer, the
first Kodak Girl,
shown using a
Kodak camera in
1890.

63. Slide 20d

64. Flexible film on transparent film
1887
Hannibal Goodwin
patented the first
flexible roll film on a
transparent base.
Slide 21
Although George Eastman developed the first flexible film for the Kodak, it
was on paper. The transparent base by Goodwin was superior for it’s
clarity and ability to render sharp pictures.

65. Edison – introduced movies
1889
Thomas Alva Edison
introduced
motion pictures.
Slide 22
The first cameras were hand cranked. A person would pull the film through a camera
that was taking pictures through a rotating shutter, providing about 12 frames per
second. This is why the early pictures were so jumpy…especially compared to today
cameras that capture ___ frames per second.
 Have you seen one of the earliest video
clips ever discovered?

66. Geico Commercial
 No of course not…movies did NOT exist
prior to April 15, 1865.
Slide 22a

67. Slide 22b

68. First 35mm Camera
1924
Oscar Barnack
developed the first
35mm still camera,
the
Leica.
Slide 23
The first 35mm miniature camera available commercially. It’s small size and large
opening lenses allowed for candids and portraits to be taken where previously not
possible or allowed.
Even today, the brand name Leica is considered to be one of the finest cameras
you can buy. It is to photography like the Rolls Royce is to the automobile.

69. Leica still TOP
camera
 Only $17k…
but hurry…only
50 were made.

70. Flash Photography
1930’s
Dr. Harold Edgerton (1903-1990)
invented the high speed
Stroboscope (flash).
Slide 24
Edgerton is considered to be one of the 15 most
influential inventors of the 20th Century and is most
known for his flash photography work with pictures
such as a bullet through an apple…or the famous
milk drop. The stroboscope made rapid motion stop
in time.

71. Slide 24a

72. Slide 24b

73. Flash
Photography
Slide 24c
Older methods to light a scene
with a flash were quite
dangerous as they literally
ignited flammable material that
flared up very brightly in a flash
of light. People standing in front
of a flash were sometimes
burned by flying debris. Flash
bulbs were made that contained
a flammable filament to quickly
ignite a gas inside of the bulb
providing a burst of light. Before
the electronic flash, bulbs could
only be used once.

74. Slide 24d
Flash powder is a pyrotechnic composition, a mixture of oxidizer
and metallic fuel which burns quickly and if confined will
produce a loud report. It is widely used in theatrical pyrotechnics
and fireworks (firecrackers), and was once used for flashes in
photography.

75. Slide 24e
This was neat because when you advanced the film, it rotated the
flash cube. This was an improvement over the previous one bulb
at a time shot.

76. Flash Bar
You could get 4-5 flashes…then flip the
bar over for another 4-5.
Slide 24f

77. Slide 24g

78. Rear Curtain Sync Flash Flash goes off at the END
of a long exposure.
Slide 24h

79. Rear Curtain Sync Flash Flash goes off at the END
of a long exposure.
Slide 24i

80. Slide 24j

81. Slide Film
1935
Eastman Kodak Company
introduced
Kodachrome,
the first color transparency
(positive) film…aka Slide Film.
Slide 25
This is known as SLIDE film…and more many years was the only way to
have your work published in a magazine. Until VERY recently, some
publishers still required slides…although most are now accepting digital
files…as long as they are VERY high resolution.

82. Slide
Film
Slide 25a

83. Slides were the Premier way
 To show you work to an
audience
 And to have your work
printed in magazines
 But it was difficult to
get a print from
Slide 25b

84. • Minolta DualScan IV
• Scans slides or film
Example of 35mm scanner
Slide 25c

85. Negative film
1942
Eastman Kodak Company
introduced
Kodacolor,
the first color reversal
(negative) film.
Slide 26
This film is very similar to the film used in modern film cameras. The image
is recorded as a negative image…that is then converted to a positive when
the picture is printed.

86. Negative film
Slide 26 a

87. Color Pictures Slide 26 b

88. Polaroid Cameras
1947
Dr. Edward Land
developed the first
camera for
instant pictures.
(Polaroid Land camera)
Slide 27
Polaroid cameras provided a way to see how a picture might turn out and
were very important in certain situations where it would be useful to see a
picture right away. Pictures are still very expensive. Polaroid (the
company) has struggled to stay in business in recent years. Polaroid is
now making digital cameras…right along with Kodak.

89. Slide 27a

90. Polaroid Cameras Slide 27b
 This was VERY novel…in that you could take a picture…and WHAMO…there it
is!
 The picture contains a chemical pack that is burst open and spread out over the print
emulsion to begin the processing.
 The emulsion is soft when first out of the camera and can be smudged. The
emulsion can also be lifted and transferred to other surfaces, like cups.

91. Slide 27b2

92. Polaroid
Cameras
Slide 27c
 This model was unique
because it offered flash.
 Polaroid has been a big
part of our history and hard
to match even with fancy
digital wizardry.
 Unfortunately, it was
always kind of expensive
at $1 a shot.
 Eventually Polaroid went
out of business a few years
ago.

93. Polaroid
Cameras
Slide 27d
 This one came
with a an
electronic
flash.

94. Polaroid Fun
 Crazy Grandma video

95. Videography And now we have
instant movies
through the magic
of
videography.
Slide 28
Yes, videography is a word. It is what
video technicians at Ch 6, 12, and 4
call themselves. ☺
In 180+ years (1830-2010), exposure
has gone from 8 hours for 1 picture,
to 2000 pictures in 1 second.
Video is 30 fps.

96. Digital Photography
 Digital adds yet another dimension to the evolution
of photography, especially with Cell Phone
Cameras.
 The cameras are essentially the same. The
difference is instead of a piece of film, there is a
digital sensor that captures the light.
 The SIZE of the sensor is the main difference in
camera types.
Slide 29
http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/digital-
photography-tutorial-camera-sensors

97. Cell Phones
 Cell Phone manufactures keep pushing the
envelope of what is possible.
 Form vs. Function continues to be the real issue
 To this date, cell phones do NOT exceed the
capability of a full size camera, but the time may
come that a cell phone is AS capable as a full size
DSLR.
 2013 - iPhone 5s (only…not even android) allows
for 120 fps WITH sound.
 2014 – iOS 8 adds Time-lapse built-in
 2015 – Front Facing Camera on iPhone 6s
evolves to usefulness. Slide 30

98. Resources
 http://www.neatorama.com/2006/08/29/the-
wonderful-world-of-early-photography/
 http://www.archives.gov/research/civil-
war/photos/
 http://www.mikelynaugh.com/VirtualCivil
War/New/Originals2/index.html
The End