Ideas for images arise in the mind and the camera is simply one of the possible tools to immortalize one's inspiration. No more no less !
Photography is a technique that allows images to be fixed using light and also designates the images obtained. In the past, it combined two distinct sciences: on the one hand optics which made it possible to capture and deliver an image with the convergence of light rays and secondly chemistry was used precisely to fix this image using different processes on a photosensitive support. Photography today is related to the field of visual and practical arts. It is a real instrument of influence on the perception of the world, an instrument of discovery which has an artistic dimension.
The beginnings of photography
The history of photography traces the stages of the evolution of the photographic process from its invention to the present day. We owe the invention of photography to Nicéphore Niepce who is at the origin of the heliography process. It was a technique of printing photographic images on paper. He subsequently joined forces with Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre who perfected his process: the daguerreotype. The work continues. Photography then continues to evolve. It has interfered in all areas: culture, science, sports, etc. Before photography, the only way to leave a mark was to paint, but that took a lot of time.
Black and white photo
The first black and white photograph was taken and developed by Joseph Nicéphore Niepce in 1826. To take this photo, it took a pause of several hours, hence the strange lighting in this photo. The latter represents a silhouette of a woman standing next to her property.
The first black and white photograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niepce
“The first camera” The daguerreotype (1839)
The daguerreotype is not really the first photographic device but the first process, the first photographic technique to record and display permanent and precise images of reality. With previous processes, images tended to disappear quickly (this is the case with the very first process, heliography). We owe the invention of the daguerreotype to Louis Daguerre, a Parisian theater designer who found the world to be a magnificent setting.
The principle of the daguerreotype is based first of all on the polishing of a silver-faced copper plate using fairly fine-grained abrasive powder. Secondly, sensitization of the copper plate is carried out using iodine vapor. We then proceed to take the image, and once this step has been completed, three baths are to come: a mercury bath, a sodium bath and a water bath (rinsing). Finally, the image is fixed in the traditional way in order to stabilize the image over time. This image is often colored by hand.
The daguerreotype made it possible to take portraits. It was also used for other purposes, in particular for outdoor shots such as shots highlighting nature. These then became completely exploitable. His invention aroused real interest in society. However, its main disadvantages were its weight (around fifty kilos), slow shooting and the toxicity of the products used for image reproduction.
(Example of photos taken with the daguerreotype method)
Color photo
The two processes listed above (heliography and daguerreotype) only provide monochrome images (a single color). Color photography is therefore long overdue.
This technique will develop over several decades and will be based on a trichrome selection inspired by the color vision of the human eye. Today it is the basis of RGB (red, green, blue) coding allowing our screens to display millions of colors. Many debates about the artistic value of color photography arise; this was also the case for black and white photography in its early days. For some, color photography was too perfect an imitation of reality.
(First color photograph, taken by the Englishman Thomas Sutton and the Scotsman James Clerk Maxwell in 1861)
Digital photo
The American Russell Kirsh was one of the first to digitize a photo in 1957. Its resolution is very low, so the image has little detail. Its size is very small (around 5cm²) and it is not in color but in grayscale. This technology then aims to transfer a paper film photo to a computer to store it in memory or display it on the screen.
(First black and white photo of Russell Kirsh's son Walden in 1957)
The profession of photographer in the 21st century
The camera is not the author of the image, he is only the tool, the instrument with which images are produced. An image technician above all, the photographer plays with contrasts, light, shots and effects in order to express a message. It is also an artistic profession. In fact, the photographer communicates by exploring his creative potential and subsequently takes the best possible photos.
The diversity of photographic practices leads to distinguishing photographers by categories, the classifications being quite numerous. Once the photos have been taken, they pass into post-production; the photographer can carry out various retouching and editing using suitable software.
Today, with the development of digital photography, it is possible to view, store, share or even retouch easily, the profession of photographer has therefore changed a lot. We have entered the digital age. Today you just have to press a button to obtain an almost perfect photo, and watch it directly either on a computer screen or on a smartphone screen, making the photography exercise even more and more accessible.
We will address the democratization of photography in the digital age soon, do not hesitate to follow us so as not to miss our next articles.
