Alejandra Villagomez
English IV
Mr. Wood, 1st Period
December 7, 2014
A Photographer's Instinctive Travels Through the Lens of his Camera
Now a days many people have become enthusiastic with photography. Most people think that photography is easy, that they just have to make a frame and press the shutter button. The reality is that there is a lot more to photography than pressing a simple button. One difference, as a photographer, is to deal with the technicalities of producing a canvas. Lighting, positioning and lenses are some of the major factors that can alter a photograph. Good photography, just like any art creates a mood which makes it's audience feel one way or another. If a canvas doesn’t generate any moods or feelings,
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people tend to ignore it. In order for a photograph to captivate its audience, the essential components must be balanced.If the lighting is off, then some parts of the photograph may be too dark to see, and will greatly affect the finished product. The lenses and the camera's positioning are key to seeing how the photograph will look. If the position of the photographer makes it so that they can't see the whole aspect of what they are photographing, the finished product will undoubtedly look terrible. The lenses on the other hand help shape the photo. The lenses can help change the scene to how the photo will end up, if the photographer wants to zoom in on a certain part, make the photo seem wide, or how clear the final product will be. There are many ways a photographer can alter a scene, and make the photograph into an inspirational piece of art. Throughout the last few decades photography has progressed to be one of the most popular forms of visual arts. Not only have the cameras become smaller but the quality of the pictures has improved. The idea of photography is said to be discovered by the greeks. The greeks discovered that images could be reproduced or projected by making a small hole in the wall of a dark room. Because the Greeks could not make the images permanent they would get people to trace the images they saw and draw them on walls as precisely as they could. They called this method camara obscura. (Lewis 3057) The method, camara obscura, along with the idea of photography has evolved over the decades. Camara Obscura was an inspiration to people like Joseph Niepce who discovered a method of producing images. He combined a few methods to produce images such as lithography, a method of printing an image by applying layers of color paper with a series of stone plates which later became known as Heliography or "sun drawing" (Lewotsky). His method became widely known because it was the first known successful picture. Many artists adapted this method and reproduced their own images which caused the idea of photography to grow. One can see how photography has changed an evolved over the years.
Although it started as an idea and a few simple drawings, photography has become one of the most popular hobbies for young adults. Since the 1820s, after Niepce had discovered sun drawing many people including close friends began to add on to his inventions. People like William Henry Fox Talbot helped Niepce evolve his idea even after his death. He invented the first light sensitive paper which in other words was a way of developing the images. The photograph he had created was a negative which meant that all the light images seen appeared dark and all the dark images appeared light. After realizing what he had created he placed the negative under another paper and exposed them to the sun. The process was then recognized as a true image (Watson) Both of their inventions along with a few other ideas from different people were the foundation of photography as we know …show more content…
today. Through the years photography, cameras and the knowledge of developing successful images has varied.
In today's modern society, people have adapted and changed what was once a simple idea. Photography has in fact become one of the most popular types of art known. People have inputed their ideas to help simple photography. Lighting for example, is one of the most talked about aspects that help anyone produce a decent image. For any photographer the lighting is one of the most important facets in taking a picture because lighting is what sets the mood for that image. Like the diction and dialogue in books, the lighting helps set the tone. It can help show the contrasts of the canvas or can be what creates the image. Lighting and setting the mood of the image can be constituted as the same thing. Light is what allows its audience to see and is what shapes and colors the objects seen in the canvas. Lighting creates mood, depth and color. It is what allows people to view every aspect of the image and admire the contrast seen. There are many different types of lighting that impact the image. For example, there is natural lighting, ambient lighting, studio lighting and outdoor lighting. Natural lighting can be classified as outdoor lighting. Studio lighting is the typical lighting one uses when doing a photoshoot for a magazine. Studio lighting helps dramatize the image. Ambient lighting is “the general “man made” background light that softens any contrast” (Stubbs) Ambient
lighting, in other words can be characterized as outdoor lighting with a “filled” background. Although one may think that lighting is not very important, the truth is that without the different lighting, the mood and overall, the image, would be dull. Lenses along with lighting affect the result of the photographs. After the creation of film and film developing came to reproductions of new and improved cameras. From the many different cameras such as the; thirty five millimeter, digital, and single-lense-reflex camera or more commonly known as SLR cameras. With the single-lense-reflex camera, the photographer uses a single lense for both viewing the scene and taking the picture. Light comes through the lease onto a mirror, which then reflects it through a five-sided prism into the viewfinder. The mirror is combined at the moment the photographer snaps the picture a spring automatically pulls the mirror out of the path between lenses and film.
Photogenic drawing is an invention which is an early photographic procedure made by William Henry Fox Talbot. According to Malcolm Daniel his invention, which was made during the industrial revolution, opened up a whole different world for photography (Malcolm Daniel, William Henry Fox Talbot (1800–1877) and the Invention of Photography, Metmuseum.org). Moreover, Talbot’s innovation became the foundation of 19th and 20th century photography. The photogenic drawing concept led through many impacts on modern world.
For many years the only way to capture an image required one to paint or draw the model or object. This was until 1814 when Joseph Nicephore Niepce a French inventor, took the first picture in history. Even though the picture was a permanent print the image known as “View from the window at Le Guas” took eight hours to expose!
The first type of using light to make a picture was the daguerreotype. Both Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre and Nicephore Niepce, who passed away before the public was introduced to the daguerreotype, founded this type of picture taking. However, before this Louis Daguerre made a "theater without actors." Beaumont Newhall explains that this was an illusion made by extraordinary lighting effects that made the 45 ½ foot by 71 ½ foot pictures appear to change as one looked at them (2).
It is considered that photography only became widely available to the public when the Kodak Eastman Company introduced the box shaped Brownie Camera in 1900. (Baker, n.p.) Its features became more refined since its original placing on the market; one of the reasons why it has become considered the birth of public photography is because of the processing. Using a similar image capture system, the brownie exposed the light to a 120mm roll of film, which could be wound round, meaning six photographs could be taken before the slides needed removing. The first Brownie used a six-exposure cartridge that Kodak processed for the photographer. (Kodak.com, n.d.) Realistically, the armature photographers did not need to understand darkroom processes, they could simply use capture the subjects, and send it to be developed. The cameras were relatively affordable, targeting many different markets, which is apparent from their advertisements. Figure 2 Is an advertisement from for the Eastman Kodak Company’s Brownie Camera; It states in bold lettering “Operated by any school boy or girl” which emphasis how it was targeted for amateur use.
The theory of photography originated from the discovery of the camera obscura phenomenon – light that enters a darkened chamber through a small hole is projects an identical inverted image on the interior wall of the outside scene. The first recordings of scientists recognizing this concept was in the writings of Greek philosopher, Aristotle (384 – 322 BC).
Unlike science, art is subjective. The artist leaves behind a part of himself in his work. Therefore, each piece has its own distinct perspective. Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits show her view on her life, on how she has faced so many struggles, yet managed to be a strong person. When we see or hear or read an artistic creation, it produces a mood such as calm or loud, fear or safety. For example, the Eiffel Tower gives Paris a majestic awe; everyone who passes by feels the strength of the 113-year-old grand structure. Art also has a texture. Photographs reveal much through their textures; grainy surfaces often make the picture more realistic while smooth ones seem softer. When we hear a piece of music or see a film, a rhythm carries us from one part to another. Not just true for these two genres, rhythm is present in any artistic work. These few properties are characteristic of everything we encounter in the world of art, the world of human expression. Most have other special features also. Most of the time, though, we do not think about these characteristics because we do not have enough time to pay attention to anything for more than a few seconds.
The invention of the camera and its many makeovers has changed the art of photography. The idea for photography came around in 1814 when Joseph Niépce wanted an image of his son before he left for war. He succeeded in making the first camera in 1827, but the camera needed at least eight hours to produce one picture. Parisian Louis Daguerre invented the next kind of camera in 1839, who worked with Niépce for four years. His camera only took fifteen to thirty minutes to produce a picture.
more usual thing to everyone in daily life and its aspects in photography creativity is going to be
“When photography was invented it was thought to be an equivalent to truth, it was truth with a capital ‘T’.” Vicki Goldberg
Have you ever seen a painting or picture that captivates you and directly stirs up emotion within you? More than likely, you have. Usually, viewers merely observe the picture and enjoy the way it looks and how it makes them feel. But, have you ever asked yourself, “why?” What about the picture makes it pleasing to the viewer? With each strategy the photographer uses creates their own touch and passion that floods all over the picture. The emotional connection nearly goes unnoticed for when the picture is well photographed, the viewers experience the sensation in their subconscious. This is one of the most powerful tools that a photographer holds in their hands. If one can become a master of manipulating how the photo affects its viewers, the said photographer can potentially maneuver people’s minds and thoughts with one click of a button. The time spent with my mentor has opened up the door for me to tap into that power though the use of background, focus, shutter speed, angles, and most importantly, lighting. Even with all these techniques, the person behind the camera must remember that creativity must be at the forefront of all operations. Caleno (2014), when writing about the basics of capturing a beautiful moment in a picture commented, “If we want to be creative we must drop these pre-conceptions and start looking at things from a small child’s innocence.”
What do you consider art? Paintings, sculptures, drawings, or maybe something else. I know, when I think of art, I think of photography. Photography Is used for business, science, manufacturing, art, recreational purposes, mass communication, and more. Photography is using light to do amazing things, and some people think of photography as a story that just needs to be told. Ansel Adams probably believed this. He said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” Photography has a long interesting history, like the fact that the word photography is made up of two greek words, photos meaning ‘light’ and graphein which is ‘to draw’ ! Photography also has some complicated techniques to get a hang of taking good photos. Have you heard of the rule of thirds? Or do you know how a camera works? Well, that will all be explained. Maybe, by the end you will take up photography too. This essay will explore the history and types of cameras and the basic rules for taking photographs.
It is not the light coming from flash, strobes, or other equipment for studio lighting – these are sources of artificial lighting. Natural light changes constantly with the changes in earth’s position relative to the sun. It also depends on weather conditions such as dark clouds and fog. Light has different characteristics that are broadly characterised as colour, brightness and direction. The impact of each of these need not be overstated.
Photography is a word derived from the Greek words “photos” meaning light and “graphein” meaning draw. The word was first used by John F.W Herschel in 1839. It is a method of recording images by the action of light, or related radiation, on a sensitive material (Bellis, N.D).
Today, photography has become a powerful means of communication and a mode of visual expression that touches human life in many ways. Photographs are used extensively by newspapers, magazines, books, and television to convey information and advertise products and services. Practical applications of photography are found in nearly every human endeavour from astronomy to medical diagnosis to industrial quality control.(1)
There was a time when the only way to capture a moment or surrounding was by a painting. Joseph Nicephore Niepce created the first photograph ever in 1827. Photography went thru many beneficial changes since then only improving and