Activity #9 Camera Essay - REDO

"Photography" comes from the Greek words photos meaning light and graphein meaning to draw. “It is a method of recording images by the action of light, or related radiation, on a sensitive material.” (About.com).

The early camera called the Camera Obscura became a phenomenon can be traced back to 1558. This camera was seen as a drawing tool for a clearer and realistic portrayal of objects (Cinema). The camera obscura could capture an image but there was no way to preserve the image. The first camera that was small and portable enough that was practical for photography was built by Johann Zahn in 1685(Wikipedia). The camera that we know today was made public in 1839 by Frenchman Louis Jacques Daguerre. (Getlein 204). By 1840, techniques had improved and exposure times had shortened; that is when portrait photography became fashionable. (AZU). The camera made portraits available to everyone and photography made it possible to record important events for journals and newspapers. (PowerPoint). The main medium of photography was light and as a result Visual artist of this time knew that and became more interested in the effects of light on different things such as objects and colors which was the new matter of content for their work. Visual artist also used a cropping created harmony in their design an important element in their work. (PowerPoint). Over many years the camera has transformed and is one of the most widely used gadgets today. There are hundreds of models of cameras available today both for the amateur as well as the professional photographer. From pinhole to digital only time can tell where the camera will go from here.