The Niepce Factor
For the preceding two hundred years, photography has been one of the most popular art forms in the world. While it was once the field of tinkers and amateur chemists, photography has redefined not only how we see the world, but how we see ourselves in the world. Every day we are overwhelmed with thousands of photographic images. With each picture we are asked to directly and indirectly contemplate our relationships with each other, the environment, and our world.
The history of modern photography dates back to 1826, when Joseph Nicephore Niepce created the first working camera. He had been experimenting with chemicals for the better part of the decade. He realized using bitumen (a component of asphalt) could transpose images onto surfaces. After testing in his makeshift laboratory, he set up his prototype camera at his house and exposed the bitumen for eight hours. The result is the oldest photograph in existence.
At this point, Niepce shared his data with his close friend and theater-owner, Jacques Mande Daguerre. It was Daguerre who explored the photographic process even further, even after Niepce’s death. He replaced bitumen with silver iodide, which provided a clearer image. Not only was the image crisper, but the exposure time was practically cut in half.
Daguerre found that his images gradually decayed to black over time. This problem was resolved when he used a warm saltwater mix on the pictures. This process and its end result came to be known as the daguerreotype. The populations of the United States and Europe were keen to have daguerreotypes. Studios could not keep up with the demand for the “mirror with a memory.”
Today, photography has graduated to an extraordinary level. With the invention of the digital camera, the quantity of photographs in the world has increased exponentially. Digital photographers can stockpile their images on a memory card and save them for printing at a later date. While many photographers still prefer customary film cameras, digital cameras have revolutionized the industry.
Presently, you simply press a button, and save the image to your memory card. It takes a fraction of the time that it once did to develop pictures, especially with the proliferation of photographic printers. Aspiring photographers are encouraged to enroll in any one of the photography schools available across the world. The best institutions can help a prospective student learn the basics of photography and the advanced business of a professional photographic career.
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