The Camera Obscura and Early Experiments
The camera obscura, a primitive concept dating back to the 4th Century BC, where a dark room with a small hole on one side projected an upside-down image on the opposite wall, fueled centuries of intrigue and eventually led to the modern camera.
In the 11th century, an Iraqi scientist refined this concept, projecting images without recording them. It wasn't until 1685 that German author Johann Zahn envisioned a smaller, portable version, yet still unable to capture actual photographs.
Johann Heinrich Schulze made a groundbreaking discovery with silver salts in 1727, proving that light, not heat, caused them to darken. He even used sunlight to record words on these salts, but couldn't make the images permanent.
In the early 1800s, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in France created what's known as the first photograph. Using a portable camera obscura, he exposed a pewter plate coated with bitumen to light, producing a grainy but lasting image of his house's courtyard in 1826 – the oldest surviving photograph.
Niépce teamed up with Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, and by 1837, they had crafted the daguerreotype, involving a copper plate coated with silver and exposed to iodine vapor before light exposure. Daguerreotypes became extremely popular, leading to the development of photography as a commercial venture.
By mid-1800s, emulsion plates entered the scene – cheaper and quicker alternatives to daguerreotypes. Using the Collodion process, these plates required only two or three seconds of exposure, making capturing moments a breeze.
The Daguerreotype and Early Photographic Processes
Louis Daguerre's invention, the daguerreotype, took the world by storm in 1839, offering beautifully detailed, mirror-like images on copper plates coated with silver and treated with iodine vapor. People flocked to have their portraits made with this new technology.
However, daguerreotypes had a limitation – each image was unique and unable to be replicated. William Henry Fox Talbot's calotype process addressed this by creating a negative image on paper that could produce multiple copies, albeit with less sharpness than daguerreotypes.
Frederick Scott Archer's collodion wet plate process in 1851 produced images with remarkable detail and contrast by using glass plates covered with a mixture of collodion and light-sensitive chemicals. The catch was that they had to be developed immediately.
The dry plate revolution in 1871, thanks to Richard Maddox, brought a significant convenience. These dry plates could be stored for later use, opening up photography to more spontaneous and adventurous captures.
George Eastman's roll film in 1888 further transformed the camera into an everyday object. Photographers could load their cameras with film, shoot photos, and send the whole thing back for developing – a precursor to disposable cameras.
Advancements in Camera Technology
The late 1800s saw bulky, box-like cameras shrink into more portable innovations. Early box cameras, like Eastman's Kodak box camera in 1888, brought photography to the masses with their simplicity and accessibility.
The 1920s introduced the single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, allowing photographers to see exactly what the lens saw through the viewfinder, thanks to a mirror mechanism.
Edwin H. Land's Polaroid camera, introduced in 1948, enabled people to take an image and have a print in their hands within minutes, injecting a fun, spontaneous element to photography.
SLRs became more sophisticated in the 1950s, featuring various lens options, precise focusing, and exposure controls. Companies like Nikon and Canon brought professional-grade SLRs to the forefront, incorporating advanced features like automatic focus and metering by the 1980s.
The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the rise of "point-and-shoot" cameras, emphasizing ease of use with automatic settings for casual photographers.
Digital photography, pioneered by Kodak's 1975 experiment with the first digital camera, revolutionized the field. The first digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera, Kodak's DCS 100, hit the market in 1991, allowing photographers to view their shots immediately and experiment without the cost of film.
Camera phones, emerging around 2000, further redefined what it meant to "capture the moment," turning everyone into a potential photographer with rapidly improving image quality.
Significant Photographers and Their Contributions
Julia Margaret Cameron, a British photographer who started at age 49, broke conventional photographic norms in the mid-1800s. Using large plates and long exposure times, she created images that radiated a spiritual essence, embracing imperfections and selective focus to highlight the soul of her subjects.
Man Ray, an avant-garde innovator from the 20th century, turned photography into a playground of experimental techniques. His "rayographs," made by placing objects directly on light-sensitive paper and exposing them to light, shattered traditional boundaries and opened up new realms of possibility.
Edward Steichen brought a sense of grandeur and artistry to portraiture and fashion photography in the early- to mid-1900s, setting the gold standard for commercial photography with his work for Vogue and Vanity Fair.
Nicéphore Niépce's 1826 photograph from his window represents the dawn of photography as we know it, laying the foundation upon which all modern photographers build.
Frederick Scott Archer's wet plate collodion process made capturing intricate detail feasible, while Senegalese photographers like Oumar Ka and Mama Casset brought unique African perspectives to the global stage in the mid-20th century.
Ansel Adams, with his mastery of the Zone System, turned landscapes into monumental art pieces, teaching us to see the natural world with fresh, awe-inspired eyes. Diane Arbus's raw, intimate portraits of marginalized individuals forced society to confront its own biases and prejudices, making her a critical influence on modern photographic ethics and aesthetics.
Sebastiao Salgado's powerful black-and-white images document global social issues, from the gold mines of Brazil to the refugee camps of Africa, highlighting human resilience and suffering, and compelling the world to reckon with its darker shades.
Photography in Different Cultures
While the paths of European and American photography made global impacts, an interesting story unfolded in a different cultural context—Senegal. Senegalese photography quickly adapted the medium to fit their social and cultural frameworks.
The story begins in the mid-19th century. Commercial photography entered Senegal shortly after its invention, driven by colonial presence, but local Senegalese rapidly took control behind the lens. By the 1850s, Senegalese women, especially the mixed-race signare, were commissioning portraits. These portraits conveyed social status and personal authority.
A tale recounts how, in 1878, a Belgian explorer encountered the self-proclaimed "King of Dakar," who handed him a carte de visite featuring his self-commissioned portrait. This act of self-representation challenged contemporary social constructs.
By the mid-20th century, photography had become deeply embedded in local traditions like xoymet, a decorative collage showcased during weddings, symbolizing the bride's social circle. Local photographers like Oumar Ka, Mama Casset, and Salla Casset played pivotal roles, capturing the nuances of Senegalese life with artistry that preserved cultural heritage.
Oumar Ka's photographs of rural lives from the 1960s exhibit a depth rarely seen, reflecting not just the subjects but their environment and ethos. Senegalese photographers were embedding artistic trends within local contexts, creating a unique hybrid that was both globally conversant and locally grounded.
Today, as exhibitions highlight African photography, the works of Senegalese photographers are gaining recognition. Photography in Senegal offers a rich canvas that both mirrors and transcends the medium's history elsewhere, capturing the very spirit of a culture.
From the early experiments to digital innovations, photography has evolved, contributing to making it an integral part of our lives. The journey is a testament to human ingenuity and the pursuit of capturing moments.
