History of Photojournalism

Louis ScarfoProfessor Nordell

Technology Timeline

IntroductionThe following technologies are just a handful of different items that helped shape both photography and photojournalism alike.

Technology:• Wet Collodion Process• Dry Plate Collodion• Black and White Roll Film• Speed Graphic Cameras• Color Film• Transmitting via Computer• Drones• Social Media

Wet Collodion ProcessThe wet collodion process created what we now know as photojournalism. It allowed individuals to capture moments in time in places that the normal individual may not may not have access to. The process required all the equipment to be on site, which was one of it's downfalls. Professor Nordell provided an excellent video that exemplifies the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyf8fQOdvDs

Photo by: Leigh Van Duzer

• First way for individuals to take photographs

• User creates a negative on a glass plate

• Chemicals mixed & applied to create image

• Required individuals to remain still to capture the image

Dry Plate Collodion• Introduced in 1871 by R.L. Maddox

• The plate is covered with gelatin emulsion

• The negative can be stored until exposure

• Can be developed with ease 

• Overall much easier than the wet plate process

Photo by: Tai OliphantImage source: http://www.derivedlogic.com/Traditional%20Photography/DryPlateProcess/DryProcess.html

Black and White Roll Film• Product of transparent plastic "strips"

• Contain light-sensitive silver halide crystals

• Created by George Eastman in 1885

• First models on paper rather than plastic

• Allowed photojournalist to take multiple imagesImage source: http://hiphopenquirer.com/special-black-indie-film-wrap-up/

Speed Graphic Camera• Speed graphic's were first manufactured in 1912

• Manufactured by Graflex, out of Rochester, New York

• Created for commercial photography purposes

• The camera possessed two shutters and three viewfinders

• The Graflex also had interchangeable lenses

• "Weegee" often used a speed graphic camera for his photographs ->

• The Graflex was a perfect portable camera for the time

Image source: http://www.worcesterart.org/exhibitions/past/fellig.html

Color Film• Eastman Kodak Company developed Kodachrome in 1935

• Images remained black and white until processed 

• Allowed viewers to see the images as the photographer did

• Black and white film became obsolete

• "Earliest 35mm Kodachrome went for $3.50 a roll"

• Kodachrome color film monopolized the photography industry after it's

creation

• Color film was the way for photojournalist's up until the digital age Photo by: Dan BayerImage source: http://www.kodachromeproject.com/pages/why.html

Transmitting via Computer

• The advent of the internet simplified the way photojournalist's worked

• No longer needed to transmit through machines that took hours

• Images can be uploaded for publication within minutes

• News  events are now covered in essentially real time

• Allows for freelancers to flourish

• *Also opens the door to false photojournalism

• Revolutionized the way news is covered Image source: http://www.gadgetreview.com/reviews/desktop-computer-reviews

Drones• "A drone, in a technological context, is an unmanned aircraft"

• Drones are controlled remotely

• Many drones have cameras attached or built in

• The creation of drones allows photojournalists to capture images from remote locations

• Drones allow for a more safe coverage of events such as war

• They allow images to be taken from angles that were previously impossible to get

• Drone technology has created a new and improved platform for photojournalism

Photo by: Paul MayallImage source: https://www.wired.com/2014/11/rural-pilots-wont-happy-faas-new-drone-rules/

Social Media• Social media is arguably the greatest advancement for photojournalism

• Essentially any person has the ability to become a photojournalist

• Individuals can upload images instantly from their smart phone

• Social media has also lead to false news stories however 

• Photojournalists now have the ability to live stream straight from their device

• Here is a video that explains this new technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdrB5ILCBN0

• There are a variety of different social media platforms, therefore the photojournalist has a choice as to

which way they would like to publish their imagesImage source: https://www.iconfinder.com/social-media-icons?order_by=popularity

Works Cited• https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/getty-museum/getty-photographs-films/phot

ographic-processes/a/understanding-the-wet-collodion-process• http://www.derivedlogic.com/Traditional%20Photography/DryPlateProcess/DryProcess.html• https://www.britannica.com/technology/dry-plate• http://albumen.conservation-us.org/library/monographs/sunbeam/chap36.html• http://www.photographyhistoryfacts.com/photography-development-history/photographic-fil

m-history/• https://www.graflex.org/speed-graphic/• http://photo.net/equipment/large-format/speed-graphic• http://www.infoplease.com/cig/movies-flicks-film/condensed-history-color.html• http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1906503,00.html• https://www.quora.com/How-is-data-transmitted-through-wires-in-the-computer• http://internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com/definition/drone• https://dronewars.net/aboutdrone/• http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/04/photojournalism-in-the-age-of-new-

media/73083/