Photography’s Journey To American Mainstream
by Ronald Borst
Today, society sees the camera as part of its everyday
convenience. The Technological Revolution of the 21st century
brought that to light, so to speak. That development took two thousand years.
As far back as 400 B.C., documents about cameras tell us
that the medium was practiced and even revered. Chinese philosopher Mozi wrote
about the “camera obscura,” and the philosopher is credited with the beginning
studies of optics.
It wasn’t until 1502, that the camera had a clear and
precise description. Leonardo Da Vinci wrote:
“If the facade of a building,
or a place, or a landscape is illuminated by the sun and a small hole is
drilled in the wall of a room in a building facing this, which is not directly
lighted by the sun, then all objects illuminated by the sun will send their
images through this aperture and will appear, upside down, on the wall facing
the hole.
You will
catch these pictures on a piece of white paper, which placed vertically in the
room not far from that opening, and you will see all the above-mentioned objects
on this paper in their natural shapes or colors, but they will appear smaller
and upside down, on account of crossing of the rays at that aperture. If these
pictures originate from a place which is illuminated by the sun, they will
appear colored on the paper exactly as they are. The paper should be very thin
and must be viewed from the back.”
By the start of the Industrial Revolution, camera technology
had become recognizable, if not commonplace. The French had marketed and
distributed a medium called Daguerrotype, and the Americans were experimenting
with permanent “developed” photos. Metal film exposure was popular during this
time, and the Americans photographed the Civil War as photojournalism.
George Eastman founded Eastman Dry Plate Company in 1880.
The dry plate process was common during this day and age, and used an emulsification
of gelatin and bromide on a glass plate.
In 1900, Kodak introduced the Box Brownie. This begins
photography’s journey to mainstream culture, as the Brownie is compact,
affordable, and convenient.
Technology would dominate the next fifty years, and camera
manufacturers would take advantage of the industry’s technological advances. By
1925, both Nikon and Leica are manufacturing advanced cameras as consumer
products.
Most cameras of the early 20th century are “reflex”
cameras, meaning the use of mirrors and prisms are used for reflecting the
image onto the film. Twin lens reflex cameras employ two lenses, one for the
photo and one for the viewfinder.
By World War II, the single lens reflex had become popular,
as were rangefinder cameras. Like today, reflex cameras versus the other
competition is both pro and con. Rangefinders were like today’s mirrorless
cameras, smaller and quieter. The advantages of reflex cameras are the detail,
and the use of long telephoto lenses.
Today, digital technology has made very good cameras very
affordable. Any high-school student with a part-time job can purchase a camera
that is capable of high quality images. Modern cameras come in two categories,
consumer and professional. The days of photography being expensive, is true
only for the professional. This has led to a blended category, prosumer, which
combines professional attributes and affordability. But even entry level camera
gear is very good today, and that is the work of an always progressing
technology.
Photography historically has many genres. The human nature
to document is probably the cause of this diversity. Photography as portraiture
has been at the forefront of art and journalism, as well as street photography.
Landscape photography, both artistic and journalistic, led
to the U.S. Government commission of Ansel Adams. The American West continues
to be photographed to this day for its picturesque vistas. The landscape scene
genre uses tripods and long-exposures to photograph wide open places with
excruciating detail. Many fine art prints are of landscape photos.
Similar and polar to landscapes are nature and wildlife
photography. The outdoor aspects are also candid and realistic, much like
street photography. Typically, the genre is conservationists and enthusiasts.
Sports photography employs journalism and photos to athletic
events, mostly for media outlets. Like fashion photos, sports photos are often
edited and manipulated for marketing. Film techniques such as “dodge and burn”
and “airbrushing,” are common editing tools to make entertainment photos
marketable.
Most categories of photography, other than professional,
have become accessible to almost everyone. The advent of the internet, combined
with the ever-changing state of technology, has brought photography to the
masses.
As George Eastman became an American icon, so did others. Alfred
Stieglitz and Edward Steichen formed the New York Photo Secessionist movement
in 1902, to promote photography as fine art. In 1906, Lewis Hine was hired by
the National Child Labor Committee to photograph working children. This led
directly to progressive labor laws in the United States.
The U.S. Farm Bureau did the same, hiring photographers
Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, to document The Great Depression.
The 1940s became the platform for Robert Capa, who after
photographing stark images of the war, would form Magnum Photo, a photography
cooperative owned by photographers.
Magazines of the 1950s exploded with photography, as Life Magazine and Look both showcased and advertised the medium. Although cameras
were still expensive, and the accessories even more so, the medium was
gradually becoming an affordable expense.
In the 1960s, as social conscience, art, and journalism
collided, photography became commonplace across America, if still not widespread.
Cameras were becoming even less expensive, and many professionals were distributing
photography skills without regard to “protecting practice.” The same effect is
happening today, as learning the skills needed to produce ultra high quality
photos is just an internet video away.
As the 70s would see electronic metering- in camera
metering- the 80s would see it happen digitally. This occurrence would spark a
merger between the technological revolution and photography, one that within
three decades would change the medium forever.
Up until the tech advances of the early 21st
century, photography even while affordable, was far from cheap. Film itself
wasn’t inexpensive. Developing the film was tedious and costly. The
accessories, tripods and lights along with specialized lenses, added so much
added cost that the medium simply was not affordable.
In spite of this, the industry was able to capitalize on
disposable camera technology, and Kodak led the way, producing inexpensive
one-time use cameras for consumers who wanted the convenience of an automatic
camera that was very affordable. The camera and 36 developed exposures were
less than ten dollars.
Entry level single lens reflex cameras were also approaching
ultra-affordability, and literary books dedicated to learning these complicated
cameras were plentiful and accessible. Hobby photography was reaching quality
never seen before.
The digital age would continue this trend.
In 1991, Fortune magazine
declared, “A storm of technological innovations and new products is gathering
over the world of photography [that] will blow away much that is familiar— including
film, chemicals, and darkrooms—replacing it with a technology that seems both
dazzling and old hat: computers.”
Enter the digital age, and the advent of DSLR cameras,
digital single lens reflex cameras that were both affordable and simple to use.
Soon, it seemed like everybody had a camera. The popular Canon Rebel series,
with professional image quality and consumer controls, would propel Canon to
the top of the market.
Technology moves forward on a daily basis, and the
electronic digital age has changed the photography world. Digital mirrorless
cameras are $100, and today’s cellphones have integrated cameras with high
quality hardware and expensive-like functions. And for very little money.
As phones have moved from the living room coffee table, to
our back pocket, photography has become instantly distributable in real time.
Social media has exploded and because everybody has a camera now, the internet
is flooded with images.
This has made photography a daily interaction in America.
The social fabric of the U.S. is such that a medium like photography, once
untouchable, is appreciated at a higher level than ever before. Even if the
quality of the images is lacking, anyone with a cellphone is enjoying
photography, and doing so at a growing rate. From grade-school children, to
aging great-grandparents, the whole country seems to be uploading photos to
Facebook or Instagram.
The interesting thing here is the sheer volume of the photos
Americans are producing. That in itself has increased the trend. “Everybody’s
doing it,” according to Jack King, an Oregon hobby photographer.
Food photography, once thought to be an exclusive genre, is
now so prevalent, it is literally impossible to gauge. Photos of crime and law
enforcement have yielded truths that we had not seen previously. Art portraits,
especially environmental portraits, have become a staple of the “selfie” craze.
People are taking photos of the drive to work, of work, and of the drive home from
work.
Never before, has a culture
had a camera that is that handy.
Current political conversations about photography include
camera drones and law enforcement body cameras. Often, photography is discussed
in regard to art and U.S. First Amendment rights. These issues will continue to
permeate discussion, as the industry technology grows even more sophisticated.
But photography has entered a new stage in its life. Being
such a prevalent part of American life, the cameraphone will serve as the
documentary camera for most of the next half-century. Backyard barbeques,
sports events, life milestones, and the too common “selfie,” will be the focus
of the visual future.
In light of such exponential growth, the internet is also
providing photography will the means to grow artistically. Phone applications
are plentiful, and often add significant upgrades and capabilities to phone cameras.
Even phone manufacturers have not missed this added daily function of life, and
these cellular engineers have integrated very capable cameras into their
phones.
Without the cellphone, it is doubtful that photography could
have ever enjoyed such status in America. The cameras of old were clunky, cumbersome,
and complicated. They were not cheap and they were not convenient, and hardly
American.
Today, more people have cameras than they do watches.
Websites such as Instagram and Flickr, have photo libraries larger than that of
the Smithsonian.
It is indeed part of the American fabric now.
Bibliography:
PetaPixel,
photography website, petapixel.com
Flickr, Yahoo
website, flickr.com
Outdoor
Photographer Magazine
History of
Photography, Josef Eder
Immigrant
Children, Russell Freedman
Street
Photography Now, Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLaren
The Camera,
TimeLife Library of Photography
