CAMERA OBSCURA
The term "camera obscura" originates from the Latin words "room" and "dark". The camera obscura was the first stage of photography's evolution in Europe. A small hole allows light into the darkness, projecting images upside-down onto a screen or wall. The projected image appeared indistinct, yet it was visible enough for an artist to trace or accurately sketch. The sketch can later be transformed into a painting. This process was made portable by the 1660s.
DAGEURRO TYPE
The daguerro type was named after the inventor Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre. Images were permanently embedded onto a silver plate using a chemical reaction of iodine, silver and a mercury vapour. It was then set with a salt solution. Due to the unique process of making a daguerro type image, creating multiple copies of one image is impossible.
CALOTYPE / TALBOTYPE
Calotype, also known as talbotype, is a technique that involves exposing a sheet of paper coated in silver chloride to light inside of a camera obscura. The areas that the light hits become dark, creating a negative image. The negative image was then placed over a second paper and exposed to bright light to produce the positive image. The calotype process allowed for an artist to make multiple copies. However, each time a copy of the original image is made, it becomes less clear.
COLLODIAN WET PLATE
The collodian wet-plate process involves coating a glass plate with a mixture of soluble iodide and collodian. In a dark room, the plate is immersed in silver nitrate and then exposed to the camera. It is then developed by pouring a solution of pyrogallic acid creating a clear image that is capable of being multiplied many times. It was the best of both worlds.
DOROTHEA LANGE
Dorothea Lange is a photographer who is best known for her depression-era work. She photographed unemployed men who wandered the streets.
LEWIS HINE
Lewis Hine photographed children who were experiencing unfair working conditions. His work inspired others to take a stand against child labour and influenced the government to create child labour laws.
MATTHEW BRADY
Matthew Brady was the first to photograph images during the American Civil War. People were finally able to witness the true action soldiers were exposed to during the war through his photographs.
EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE
The zoopraxiscope was an invention made by Eadweard Muybridge that showcases a series of images creating the illusion of a moving picture. The images or photographs are printed onto a wheel that is placed in the zoopraxiscope and displayed on a screen and with this invention lead to the modern cinema we experience today.