What is a Photograph

A photograph is the means of representation, a visual capture of time and the dimensions of space constructed into a a physical form. A photograph gives availability and access to anyone and is able to present to people the world in 5x7 dimension. A photograph for me is almost a form of time travelling as I can physically witness 50 years before I was born and be able to see what the present day looks like in a completely different country.

Beaumont Newhall:

Wrote the book 'History of photography' which is known as a classic text book for photography. He wrote about the many artists and photographers and how there pictures became successful discussing techniques and photography skills.

Walker Evans:

He documented the effects of the great depression in america. He liked to describe his work as ' literate,authoritative, and transcendent'.

These two photographers manipulated perspective and controlled how the public saw events and initially viewed the worlds biggest happenings and history.

I like this photograph as the compositions of the sitters fit the rule of thirds as the children are not directly at the bottom of the image the mother is neither in the center. I think the images is very raw in a sense that it shows dramatically the impact of the great depression in a shocking manor as people feel strong sympathy and empathy towards children in poverty making this image stronger and bolder.

Daguerreotype:

A photo taken by an early photographic process employing an iodine-sensitized silvered plate in mercury vapour. This process was named after Louis Jaques-mande daguerre who invented this process of taking a photo. The first photo was of a window. This was the first window to the world.

Above photograph: first daguerreotype 1826 by Joseph Nicephore

Joseph Nicephore:

He created a photograph of the first real world scene. He did this by using the technique heliography which is where asphalt is put onto glass or metal and this will harden on light exposure.

The definition of photograph is writing with light and controlling time.

William Henry Fox Talbot:

He invented the calotype process which is a process where paper is coated with silver Iodide.

above photo: Henry fox talbot an oak tree in winter 1843

Photogram:

A picture produced with photographic materials, such as light-sensitive paper, but without a camera.

Frederick Scott Archer

Invented the collodion process which is a glass plate covered in collodion which contains iodide which then has to be exposed whilst wet then develop the image using pyrogallol or acidified ferous sulphate then lastly fixed the image in a cyonide solution or hypo. Invented in 1851.