Photographic Technology

TimelineBy: Allison Gavin

Table of Contents

• Slide #4: 1851-Wet Plate Collodion Process

• Slide #6: 1871-Dry Plate Collodion Process

• Slide #8: 1879-Photogravure

• Slide #10: 1925-Leica

Camera

• Slide #12: 1948-35mm SLR Camera

• Slide # 14: 1994-Blogs• Slide #16: 1999-DSLRs• Slide #18: 2000-Drones

• This photographic technology timeline discusses all of the different forms of photographic technologies starting from 1851 up until 2000.

1851-Wet Plate Collodion Process

• The Wet Plate process was introduced by Englishman Frederick Scott Archer. • In this process, one must add a soluble iodide to a solution of collodion, or

cellulose nitrate. Then, one must coat a glass plate with this mixture. • After this step, the plate needs to be immersed in silver nitrate to form a silver

iodide. • Next, while the plate is still wet, will be exposed in a camera. • This photo would then be developed by covering it in a solution of pyrogallic acid.• Although this is a lengthy process, it was valuable to photographers and

photojournalists everywhere because it gave a lot of detail in the photos used by this process.

Image By: Patrick AndradeImage Source: https://fstoppers.com/bts/wet-plate-collodion-and-joys-being-beginner-73801

1871-Dry Plate Collodion Process

• This process is a more modern version of the Wet Plate Collodion Process.• The dry plate collodion process is also known as the gelatin process. It was intr

oduced by R.L Maddox.• Unlike the wet plate, the dry plate consists of a glass plate being covered by

gelatin and the dry plate has to be stored before exposure. • Also in this process, the plate is washed in water to get rid of the silver nitrate,

while in the wet plate process, the plate is left to dry.• This process is known to keep the photograph in good condition for about a ye

ar, which nowadays, is not that long if you think about it.

• The dry plate seemed to be a much easier process than the wet plate, which photographers and photojournalists all around seemed to be gratful for.

Image By: Tai OliphantSource: http://www.derivedlogic.com/Traditional%20Photography/DryPlateProcess/DryProcess.html

1879-Photogravure • Photogravure printing is a method of printing high quality images using phot

ographic and etching techniques. • There is a three-step process to Photogravure. The processes involves

transferring an image photographically to a metal plate, etching the image on the plate and then printing from it. etch the image on the plate then print from it.

• The result from using Photogravure Print makes the image almost looks like some sort of drawing.

• Photogravure showcases photography’s struggles as a fine art. • I believe this process helps others understand the importance of

photography and photojournalism and how it is a form of art.

1925-Leica Camera• This camera was invented by Oskar Barnack

and was launched at the Leipzig Spring Fair in Germany.• This camera was the first still camera produced to 35mm of movie film and people

were in shock and didn’t know what to think of it. • Some of the features the Leica included were

high top speed, a sharp lens for sharp images, a focusing lever to focus the image, allowing up to 36 images to be taken, and much more.

• This camera made a tremendous impact on photographers and photojournalists everywhere because of the fact it was the first still camera. Just like any form of technological form of photography, the Leica Camera made a huge impact on the photography world and it wouldn’t be where it is today if the Leica was never created.

Image by: Henri Cartier-BressonSource: https://us.leica-camera.com/World-of-Leica/100-Years-of-Leica-Photography/Leica-100-years/Iconic-photos

1948-35mm SLR Camera • The first SLR camera was built in in Hungary and then later moved to Japan to a compan

y called Asahi Optical. • SLR stands for Single-Lens Reflex and 35mm refers to the length of the film for the

camera.• In the opinion of Tom Davis,

a 35 mm SLR camera is probably the most popular type among people who are interested in taking more than just "snapshots". If you just want to take photos of your kids, vacations, and family reunions, and don't want to hassle with a bulky camera and some complexity, this is the camera for you.

• In an SLR camera, you can change the lens for the perfect shot for every type of scenery. • The SLR camera made a huge impact on photographers and photojournalists in the way

that they had a whole new way of taking photos with better features and quality. They saw photography in a whole new light.

• The SLR camera also helped others look at and see photography and photojournalism in a whole new light. This made people appreciate photography a whole lot more.

Image by: Can DagarslaniSource: http://www.shootingfilm.net/2013/09/15-wonderful-shots-taken-by-using-nikon.html

1994-Blogs• One could access the first blog at links.net and it was created by

Swarthmore College student, Justin Hall. • It wasn’t until 1997 though that it got a name, “weblog”. In 1999, the name finally got

renamed into “blog”. • Within the last decade or so, blogs have become very popular in the online world. Whether it

be on politics, fashion, music, or any topic you can think of, everyone seems to either be reading blogs or writing them.

• Blogging is a way for people to share their thoughts and ideas with the world while getting feedback from the readers.

• In 2006, there were approximately 50 million blogs on the internet. • Blogs have also become huge for photographers and photojournalists. This is a new and easy

way for them to post and share their photographs anywhere, at anytime.

Two famous Blogging sites

Image by: Brandwatch Image Source: https://www.brandwatch.com/2014/10/why-businesses-should-blog/

1999-DSLRs• The Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera was introduced by Nikon.

The first DSLR camera had a 2.74 megapixel sensor• During this time, DSLRs were not very popular because people were still used to film cameras. During these

times of new inventions, people didn’t know what to think, they were too scared to try out new things. In today’s day in age, people are used to technology and new changes, we can never wait until the “next big thing” in technology comes out.

• After a few years the DSLR was out and after people started getting used to them, Nikon introduced a newer version of the DSLR called the D90. It was the same type of camera except it had video capabilities. This was a big turn in the photo industry. Only a few months after this camera came out, Canon introduced their own digital camera. This was only the start of something big.

• Just like the SLR camera, the DSLR made a huge impact on photographers and photojournalists everywhere. There were a lot new features to look forward too for example, being able to change the shutter speed to create freeze photography or blur photography and the quality of the images were also a lot better and clearer. The camera made and a whole better experience to look forward too. This creation of the DSLR took photography to a whole new level and made it more exciting to take photos.

Image by: Werner Kunz Source: http://dpshots.com/cameras/awesome-photos-taken-by-nikon-d90-dslr.html

2000-Drones• Believe it or not, drones were brought in to this world over a decade ago, they were even around

during the 9/11 attack. It’s hard to believe because we didn’t really start hearing about drones until a few years ago.

• When drones were invented, they were originally used for military use only and they weren’t just used for taking photographs either.

• It wasn’t until 2012 that people started hearing about drones. When they first became available to the public, people did not care for them, they thought they were an invasion of privacy.

• Slowly but surely, the controversy of the drones calmed down and now they are mainly used for photographic use only.

• Drones made a huge impact of photography because now, people, including photographers and photojournalists have the ability to take photos of the unknown, we have the ability to explore and take photos from new places and amazing angles that was never possible before.

Image by: Sheung WanImage Source: https://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/blog/2016/04/6-amazing-photographs-taken-drones