The History of Photographic Arts

Today, cameras are easily available and practically everywhere, from phones, to computers, even to small pen like devices, in addition to the traditional camera shapes. Photography has become something we can all do easily, that sometimes we take it for granted. But the history of this art and science is long and storied, going through a number of ups and downs before reaching the point we enjoy today.

The basic concepts used in photography, are traced back all the way to the ancient minds of civilizations past many thousands of years ago. Ancient philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists, like Mo Ti from China, and Aristotle from Greece, were said to have tinkered with what is known as a pinhole camera. This trend during the ancient times would be shared by the other great civilizations of the era, which had their own scientists playing around with their own camera-like devices, which they used in experiments and scientific studies.

But all of the examples above simply dabbled with the basic principles of photography, because it wouldn’t be until 1826, that the first actual and permanent photograph would be produced. It was an image made by Joseph Nicephore Niepce, whose photographs were made on a combination of polished pewter plate, and bitumen of Judea, which hardens when exposed to light. Once the bitumen hardens on the metal plate, it leaves a negative image which can then be used to produce a print, by coating it with ink and pressing on paper.

From that point onward, many more developments in the basic process would be made over the years, like the calotype process, invented in 1840 by Fox Talbot, which used paper sheets covered in silver chloride. The paper sheet would then be used to make an intermediate negative image, which is needed, and used, to create the final positive print. It is this paper, along with the way the prints would be made, that would be one of the foundations of modern chemical film and modern film development.

During this time however, film and camera technologies weren’t the only things being developed. Styles and techniques in taking photos were advancing as well, like in 1849 when Count Sergei Lvovich Levitsky, first suggested, and used, proper artificial lighting, and a dedicated studio, to take photos of subjects. It was a big step forward from the previous manner of taking photos, which just relied on natural or simple artificial lights.

All of these past milestones laid the groundwork for further development, which would lead to us enjoying the benefits of modern cameras today. Digital photography is now the norm in many areas, opening the doors to further developments in photography in the future. This would then attract even more people to photography, both as a hobby and as a career.

Please see these websites about San Diego Photography and Hollywood Photography.