Photography, by definition, is “the art and science of creating images using light,” (Lewis). As an art, it has undoubtedly touched the lives of many and as a science, it has allowed for many breakthroughs that have advanced our society in very profound ways. However, as with anything new or technologically advanced, there are always people that will oppose it. As the technology behind photography has advanced more and more over the years, society’s views towards photography have evidently shifted to be increasingly negative.
To begin, I’ll talk about some of the views regarding photography that don’t correlate with any sort of advancement in the technology behind it. Many have suggested that photography is not and should not be considered as a form of art. Those who feel this way attribute it to the accuracy that cameras possess as a result of being a mechanical process. Rembrandt at one point accused photographers of lacking the “skill, taste, mind, and judgement that is required to paint a portrait,” ("Photography (1815-1850),"). His opinion seems like it would be popular, especially today, with the countless smart phones that represent all that photography has to offer for many people, not including myself.
Contrary to popular belief, photography has been around even since the times of Aristotle. Known as a “camera obscura”, people in those times would construct a dark room (no relation to dark rooms used for film processing) with a small hole in the wall or window. In doing that, an inverted image of the view outside would be projected onto the opposite wall. This provided no means to save the image, but the image could be drawn or traced, and the basis for photography was created (Gernsheim 3). These camera obscuras we...
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...ts in Context. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Fineman, Mia. Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012. Google Books. Google. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Gernsheim, Helmut. A Concise History of Photography. 3rd Revised ed. New York: Dover Publications, 1986. Google Books. Google. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Lewis, Scott M. "Photography." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 3rd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3057-3062. Gale Power Search. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
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Born of Irish immigrants in 1823 in a little place called Warren County, New York; Mathew Brady is known as “The Father of Photojournalism.” While a student of Samuel Morse and a friend of Louis Daguerre (inventor of the “Daguerreotype,” a method of photography that the image is developed straight onto a metal coated surface), in which he had met while under the study of Morse, Brady took up his interest in photography in the year of 1839, while only seventeen years of age. Brady took what he had learned from these two talented and intellectual men to America where he furthered his interest in the then-growing art of photography.
Johnson, Brooks. Photography Speaks: 150 Photographers on their Art.” New York: Aperture Foundation Inc., 2004. Print.
In the chapter, “The Mirror with a Memory”, the authors, James Davidson and Mark Lytle, describe numerous things that evolved after the civil war, including the life of Jacob Riis, the immigration of new peoples in America, and the evolution of photography. The authors’ purpose in this chapter is to connect the numerous impacts photography had on the past as well as its bringing in today’s age.
Gustavon, Todd. Camera: A History of Photography from daguerreotype to Digital. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing, 2009
Tolmachev, I. (2010, March 15). A history of Photography Part 1: The Beginning. Retrieved Febraury 2014, from tuts+ Photography: http://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/a-history-of-photography-part-1-the-beginning--photo-1908
Between 1500 and 1900, paintings and drawings were the main medium of visual art. They represented the universe based on the author’s imagination and technical skill. However, the birth of photography presented new possibilities and a new means to depict and show an accurate, complete and ‘authentic’ reproduction of reality. Based and inspired by Susan Sontag’s book, On Photography, this essay will discuss and explore the notion of the authentic image as well as what makes for an authentic photograph.
Sontag, Susan. "Essay | Photography Enhances Our Understanding of the World." BookRags. BookRags. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Photography is a part of almost everyone's everyday life whether it is through a smartphone, laptop, or professional camera. Before the late 1800s, though, even a simple picture was not possible. Although many people worked hard and put their ideas and inventions of new cameras in the world, Louis Daguerre is among one of the most important. Michael Hart, in his book, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, ranks Daguerre as the 47th most influential person in the world. This ranking is appropriate because of the many ways his invention influenced today's world. His technique was practical and widely used in the 1800s. Although his methods are different
In Roger Scruton's essay, "Why Photography Is Not Art", an effort is made to question photography as a genuine art form. Roger spends much of his essay arguing that photography is merely a weak imitation of an object, rather than a carefully crafted depiction of a subject with its own aesthetic properties. Due to the rapid rise of photography all around the globe, his viewpoints are highly controversial. It is important for us to study both sides of the argument, because photography is so important in capturing world history. Photography is a rather new concept, yet its importance is paramount in seeing how others live. Photos allow us to see and capture a specific moment in time, just like a wide array of already accepted art forms. I find it truly interesting that Roger challenges photography as art. I am certainly not a photographer, but I never knew some people challenged photography's artistic merit. I will argue today that Roger Scruton is wrong in his belief that photography has merely a "casual and not intentional" relationship with its subject (Scruton, 89). In essence, photographs lack true depiction. I will also argue that the majority of photographs due indeed, have their own aesthetic properties. This is something Roger Scruton fails to recognize.
"History of photography and photojournalism.." History of photography and photojournalism.. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. .
and Roger Hillman. Fields of Vision: Essays in Film Studies, Visual Anthropology, and Photography. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1995.
What do you consider art? Paintings, sculptures, drawings, or maybe something else. I know, when I think of art, I think of photography. Photography Is used for business, science, manufacturing, art, recreational purposes, mass communication, and more. Photography is using light to do amazing things, and some people think of photography as a story that just needs to be told. Ansel Adams probably believed this. He said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” Photography has a long interesting history, like the fact that the word photography is made up of two greek words, photos meaning ‘light’ and graphein which is ‘to draw’ ! Photography also has some complicated techniques to get a hang of taking good photos. Have you heard of the rule of thirds? Or do you know how a camera works? Well, that will all be explained. Maybe, by the end you will take up photography too. This essay will explore the history and types of cameras and the basic rules for taking photographs.
In Sontag’s On Photography, she claims photography limits our understanding of the world. Though Sontag acknowledges “photographs fill in blanks in our mental pictures”, she believes “the camera’s rendering of reality must always hide more than it discloses.” She argues photographs offer merely “a semblance of knowledge” on the real world.
Photography as a profession has developed along with the advancements of camera technology. Photographers can be seen everywhere, whether they are highly advanced or a just a mere amatuer. Many people find a living in this business by taking professional photographs for families, sports events, and even the traditional senior pictures.
Stern, K. (2012). Photo 1: An Introduction to the Art of Photography. USA: Cengage Learning