So, how did we go from tracing a portrait in the camera obscura to taking selfies with smart phones? Good thing there were several innovations that allowed duckface selfies to become reality:
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Daguerreotype: Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre invented the Daguerreotype in 1839. It was the first available process for photography to the public.
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Film photography: recorded the scene on light sensitive plastic that treated with silver and dyes (for color). Film is making a slight comeback, despite the prevalence of digital photography. It also offers a unique look to the images. There are a few distinctions between film and digital photography. When shooting film, you have to expose the scene to capture details in shadows. For example, when photographing a scene with lots of shadows, expose the film long enough to capture those details. You would then adjust the development time for the highlights. In other words, “Expose for the shadows, and develop for the highlights.” I love it when you tell someone 25 years and younger that you shoot film and they ask, “You mean movies?” Hahaha!
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Digital photography: the world is moving to mirrorless cameras. But DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are similar. A photographer exposes the scene to capture detail in the highlights without “blowing them out.” Then he or she will process the photos in a photo editing program to bring out the detail retained in the shadows. Digital camera sensors have a remarkable ability to capture details in the shadows. But they are not able to recover highlights if not exposed properly. Smart phones are mirrorless devices. With improved cell phone technology, duckface selfies are now possible!
Blog question: Which genre of photography is your favorite and why? Leave a comment below! Feel free to ask any questions. Stay tuned for next week’s blog post!
