Photography 101: The Brief History of the Photograph
ByIn these modern times, cameras are everywhere. Whether it’s a tiny digital you keep in your pocket or a medium format monstrosity you use for a hobby, cameras have become an integral part of human life. With that in mind, let’s take a ride down memory lane and look at where modern photography came from and what it’s meant to our civilization.
One of the most amazing things about photographs is how heavily we depend on them to record our history and tell our stories, considering the fact that chemical photography is a relatively new science. The first permanent photograph was created as recently as 1825 using pewter plates and a substance called “bitumen,” and later iterations of the photograph would be printed on glass; paper didn’t become common until around 1888 thanks to innovations by George Eastman (as in Eastman-Kodak).
In 1901, the Kodak Brownie camera was introduced to the public. This was the first time that photography was so easily accessible to the public in regards to cost and ease of use. It was during this time that film developing really took off as an industry. It is incredible to think that something like dropping film off to be developed, which we do without a thought, was a foreign and new concept just 100 years ago. The modern SLR camera has only been around for about 80 years, and even in that timeframe it hasn’t changed too much in terms of construction.
While black and white photography hasn’t changed much since the early 1900’s, color film has experienced dramatic advancements over this brief period of time. Though color photography had always been pursued by early photographers, color film and printing didn’t become widely accessible until well into the 20th century. Kodak’s “Kodachorme” was introduced around 1935, but would be a while before it would become commonplace. One interesting thing about color film advancement is looking at how black and white film is still in wide use despite the introduction of color photographs; how many people do you know that still have a black and white television?
Of course, no discussion of photo history would be complete without discussing the digital revolution. This technology, which feels so familiar to us, has only been in wide use for about 15 years. The first “megapixel” sensor wasn’t even created until around 1986, and now it’s one of the most common technical words in our vocabularly. Though digital photography hasn’t changed much about the way we take pictures (point and shoot), it has had an immeasurable impact on our ability to share our photographs with the world.
Photography is one of the primary ways in which we document our lives in frames for all to see. A photograph can be as simple as remembering a birthday party, or as important as drawing attention to a conflict on the other side of the globe. They help add weight and emotion to the words of reporters as well as preserve our history for generations to come. Every photo we take is a living reminder of our relationships, achievements, strengths and weaknesses.
