17th & 18th Century History of Photography.

Blog Entry No 2
Tutor: Ms. Scicluna
Date Uploaded: 21/10/15

~ In this post I will be including some class notes as well as research from other sources such as the internet, books etc ~

Introduction 

Photography had been invented between the 17th and 18th century. It was called pre-photography. The Pre - photography period was to draw aids in using light to help to produce an image. The word "Photography" was named by Sir John Herschel, which had consumed the term in 1839, the same year as the photographic process became officially public.The term is going from the Greek influential phrases which are light and writing. The first inventions that were created were produced way before the first photograph was taken. 

Camera Obscura 

A variety of camera obscura were invented in different shapes and size 

Back in 400BC, the camera obscura was developed and invented, but the process was limited to the purpose to drawing and trace the subject. The method of the camera Obscura was to have a room in complete darkness, with a one singular pin hole in one of the four walls, displayed would be an inverted projection of what would be seen on the opposite wall.  The person that would inside the room track the projection of the image, in which it was be seen upside-down. This would be the same way that projections of images would be seen through our own eyes. Leonardo Da Vini had the first experience in using and recording in his records on how to use the method of the camera obscura (1452 - 1519). Da Vini would have used the purpose of the camera obscura as an understanding aid of perspective. 

Throughout the 17th and 18th Century, many possible experiments were developed, such as the table top model which it adds an adjustable lens and a mirror that was aligned for a person that would be on the outside of the room, to trace the projection imagery to be reflected through it.

The method on how a camera obscura works 

In my reflection of the  thought on camera obscura, it was also like a cheating method in a way to get the precise image of what is showing to the artist, which seemed nonsense at the time. In my point of view if I had to use the method the camera Obscura I might change a few details on the projecting image, make as in my style of drawing, not draw it exactly precise.But in a way it was invented to produce images to not make a lot of mistake eg; drawing the anatomy of a human being right and make the image look realistic.

Bibliography 


Photography History of 17th & 18th Century - http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/stilphotography.htm (Accessed on 14.10.15)
Eyecon Art (Art History Pages) Camera Obscura - http://robinurton.com/history/photography.htm (Accessed on 21.10.15)