The word photography was first coined by scientist Sir John F.W. Herschel in 1839. The word comes from two Greek words meaning “light” (photo) and “to draw” (graphein). However it wasn’t until around 1000 AD that the first pinhole camera was invented by the Arab scholar Alhazen (Ibn Al-Haytham), who was known as the “Father of Modern Optics” by the scientific community. The pinhole camera, known as the Camera Obscura (Latin for “dark room”), was simply a closed box with a hole on one side of it where light would come through the tiny hole to create an image on the wall of the box of the outside scene that was mirrored and appeared upside down. It was often used by artists to make sketches in the field.
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Photography comes from two Greek words meaning “light” (photo) and “to draw” (graphein).[/pullquote]The first photograph was actually taken during the summer of 1827 by Joseph Nicephore Niepce using the Camera Obscura. Prior to this these cameras were used for viewing or drawing. Niepce’s photograph were called heliographs or sun prints and were the prototype so to speak for today’s photographs in using light to draw pictures. By placing an engraving onto a metal plate coated in bitumen then exposing it to light Niepce was able to make his photographs. This process took eight hours of light exposure to create.
The Museum of Modern Art has on their website some interesting information surrounding the Camera Obscura to check out.
https://www.moma.org/collection/details.php?theme_id=10060
Camera : Artist’s Camera Obscura Date : 18th Century |
Camera : Sliding Box Camera Date : c1850s |
Camera : Voigtländer / Petzval lens Manufacturer : Voigtländer & Sons Date : c1841 |
Camera : The Tourograph Manufacturer : E & T Underwood Date : c1897 |
Camera : Stereo Weno Manufacturer : Blair Camera Co. Date : 1902-1903 |
Camera : The Kodak Manufacturer : Eastman Dry Plate & Film Co. Date : 1888-1889 |
Camera : Box Tengor Manufacturer : Zeiss Ikon Date : c1925-1956 |
Camera : No. 3A Folding Pocket Kodak Manufacturer : Eastman Kodak Date : 1903-1915 |
Camera : “Pre-Anniversary” Speed Graphic Manufacturer : Graflex Date : c1928 – 1939 |
Camera : Exakta A Manufacturer : Ihagee Date : 1932-c1940 |
Camera : Rolleiflex Manufacturer : Franke & Heidecke Date : 1929-1932 |
Camera : Leica II Manufacturer : Ernst Leitz Date : 1932-1948 |
Camera : Retina Type 117 Manufacturer : Kodak (Germany) Date : 1934-1935 |
Camera :Polaroid Land 95 Manufacturer : Polaroid Date : 1948-1953 |
Camera : Hasselblad 1600F Manufacturer : Hasselblad Date : 1948-1952 |
Camera : Nikon F Manufacturer : Nippon Kogaku Date : 1959 |
Camera : Topcon RE Super Manufacturer : Tokyo Kogaku Date : 1963 |
Camera : Instamatic 110 Manufacturer : Kodak Date : c 1972 |
Camera : A-1 Manufacturer : Canon Date : c 1985 |
Camera : Disc-7 Manufacturer : Minolta Date : c 1984 |
Camera : Nikon AF Manufacturer : Nikon Date : c 1984 |
Camera : 7000 Manufacturer : Minolta Date : 1985 |
Camera : Quicksna Manufacturer : Fuji Date : 1988 |
Camera : DCS 420 Manufacturer : Kodak / Nikon Date : 1994 |
Camera : Advantix Manufacturer : Kodak Date : 1996 |
Camera : MX-2700 Manufacturer : Fuji Date : 1999 |
Camera : EOS D30 Manufacturer : Canon Date : 2000 |
Camera : J-SH04 Manufacturer : Sharp Date : 2000 |
Camera : NDigital Manufacturer : Contax Date : 2002 |
Cell Phone Cameras
- iPhone 5s, 8 MP, dual LED flash
- Samsung Galaxy S5, 16 MP, can focus and take a photo in .3 seconds
- Nokia Lumia 1020, 41 MP, sensor, good in low light
- Sony Xperia Z2, 20.7 MP, good for viewing HD photos and video
- LG GS, 13 MP, good laser guided auto focus
Ken Weigand
Latest posts by Ken Weigand (see all)
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