Photo tidbits

So, I have to admit that I hadn't a clue what all these things meant before now, but hopefully after you have read the following definitions, we'll both have a clearer understanding of these fancy photo words. 

Here goes nothing.

Daguerreotype. This was the first method that proved commercially successful in the photography industry, prominent in the 1700s and 1800s. In this method, a piece of paper was covered in a mirror-like combination of silver foil and copper. The nifty thing about this was that the photographs captured were direct positives. It was awfully helpful on account of the fact that it was more advanced than the camera obscura method, which required much more time an effort.  


Albumen. Album was the first method of making a photo from a negative. The secret ingredient in this process was egg whites - how versatile the egg is, eh?. The piece of paper was coated in egg white and then dipped into the regular silvery stuff. Alas, this method only lasted from the 1850s to the turn of the century.


Stereograph. Stereographs were the world's first attempt at 3D images; they were quite popular in the mid and late eighteen hundreds. The graphs themselves were two images set side by side, viewed by magic stereoscope glasses.


Carte de Visite These were the first trading cards, so to speak. After Napoleon III had his photograph done on one of these, these little photographs became all the rage with friends and travelers and who not. They became a phenomenon! Usually, they'd be created using the albumen method. Yes yes. 

Famous Photogs: Alexander Gardner and Matthew Brady

Alexander Gardner was a Scottish photographer (Scottish Power!) who was famous for his photographs of the civil war and Abraham Lincoln.  

 

Matthew Brady was also famous for his civil war photos, but he's also credited for being the father of photojournalism.

               

                      

Our very own Camera Obscura

Our front garden as seen through a small hole and projected onto the ceiling . 

After hearing about all this camera obscura babble, I decided that I would kidnap my sister's room and make our own - turn her room into a pinhole photo camera.

It was well worth the effort.

It took seven black binbags and almost half a roll of duct tape, but our goal was achieved. Our front garden was successfully projected onto the ceiling. Huzzah! All six members of our family took turns leaving to dance about in our driveway - our neighbors must have thought we were bonkers, but what can you do - while the rest of us laid on the carpet just being plain baffled. We all knew what to expect, but it's just one of those things that will always be nifty, regardless. And it was. It was incredibly nifty. It was an awfully sad thing to have to take the binbags down in the end. *sigh*

Anyway, the point of this is, not only am I going to get extra credit in photo, but I got to spend an absolutely magical hour just staring at my driveway. It was fantastic. Everyone should do this. Because it's great.

*adds this to list of things to do to impress future suitors*

Nicéphore Niépce

Photo Tidbit of The Day

Actual photographs are a relatively new thing to people when you look at our entire history. It took many folks to figure out a sophisticated, repeatable way to go about it. But, the oldest surviving photograph is credited to the French inventor, Nicéphore Niépce, who took it in 1826. Using the camera obscura method, this photo was captured at Saint-Loup-de-Varennes. After eight hours of exposure, a picture was projected onto a 20 x 25 cm surface, resulting in the first ever permanent photograph in the history of ever. 

Three cheers for Mr. Niepce! 

*cue cheering*