The Most Popular

Contributors in Color

Photography

The early experiments in color photo arts were tiresome; most of the

undertakings needed long time exposures, usually in a number of hours until

several days so that the colors of camera images may not fade so easily. In order to enhance quality of color photo, the photo experts below contributed

applicable principles.

1. JAMES CLERK MAXWELL. As a physicist, Maxwell introduced the "separation of three colors" principle in 1855. This principle was first used in

1861. The rationale behind the principle, according to Maxwell, was to

produce at least three individual black-and-white photos by using three

different filters such as red, blue and green. At that time, most photographers were taught the most basic channels in producing color

camera images.

2. LOUIS DUCOS DU HAURON. According to him, transparent photo images may be projected using similar filters. For instance, a color print

image on a photo paper can be produced by simply superimposing carbon

color prints of three different images using their complementary colors. This

process is called "subtractive method" which introduced in the later part of

1860s.

3. SERGEI MIKHAILOVICH PROKUDIN-GORSKII. This Russian

photographer expounded extensively on the technique in using color

separation. He made use of a special type of camera which placed the filtered images over an oblong-shaped plate. Since the exposures of images

weren't simultaneous, the resulting printed images looked like clearly-

colored ghosts.

4. HERMAN VOGEL. The continuous progress of portrait photography

was, in the meantime, obstructed due to the sensitivity of the photo

elements used; said elements were mostly sensitive to red, blue and red. In

1973, however, Vogel introduced a very relevant procedure called

"sensitization." This procedure enhanced the level of sensitivity of red, yellow and green. In effect, the long-time exposure requirement for color

photos was significantly reduced to some extent. The resulting photos,

therefore, were so much closer to commercial quality production.

5. THE LUMIÈRE BROTHERS. In 1907, these gentlemen brought to the

world the very first color process called "auto-chrome." This process, as

applied in professional corporate photography, proved to be commercially

very successful since it incorporated into the autochrome plates some sort of mosaic filter made of dyed potato starch grains. This made the three-color

elements to be captured as adjacent image fragments.

6. THE KODAK. In 1935, an integral tripack technology called

"Kodachrome" was developed by Kodak. This technology allowed the capture

of at least three hues in a specifically three-layered emulsion. The first layer recorded the green portion of the spectrum, the second layer recorded just

the red area, while the third spectrum recorded only the blue part.

7. AGFACOLOR NEU. In 1936, Agfa introduced another technological breakthrough called "Agfacolor Neu." As early as during the manufacturing

process, all color couplers were added into the layers of emulsion. The

ultimate effect of this process was the simplification of the photo processing.

These days, color photography technology remains very useful in professional photography, such as newborn photo arts and family photo arts.

With the advent of digital photo technology, the color photo process

becomes even more helpful.