News, Reviews and Articles from All Things Photography
Hi all,
What the…? Where did that month go? No sooner than I send out a newsletter, the next one is imminently due! Oh well.
Is it me or is the world of photography enjoying a much higher “awareness” around the world. When I first started playing with SLR cameras in the late 70’s I felt almost “unique” as many people had no interest in the more technical and creative side of photography whatsoever.
The majority of people owned the cheap and cheerful “snappy” cameras, but the more technical side of photography was left to the professionals until what seemed like, the introduction of digital.
Last week on BBC 4 saw the start of a new 6 part series called The Genius of Photography. It is an excellent documentary taking us through the ages of photography starting way back in the early 19th Century when Louis Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot battled it out to master the photographic process that would “catch on” and revolutionize photography as we know it today.
Whilst the Daguerreotypes were incredible in their almost “surreal” detail, it was a once-only process…no copies could be made. Fox Talbot all but won the race with a technique that would pave the way for modern, affordable and reproducible photography. Anyway…I ramble…
It got me thinking that the current boom of digital photography is no different to the discovery of photography way back then. Portraits in the 19th century were always “stiff” and more commercially orientated, but when George Eastman introduced the Box Brownie, an affordable camera for the masses, people were for the first time let loose with this new technology.
The basic, standard portraits became more fun as people experimented and played with this amazing new “art form” and the BBC documentary showed ancient images of happy people pulling faces and jumping at every opportunity.
The way in which I thought it was similar to now was this. Not only are digital cameras so affordable now, but the software necessary to process, manipulate and “play” with images is also affordable and much easier to master. The masses are now enjoying all aspects of photography…technical or otherwise!
More interesting stuff on Daguerre
More interesting stuff on Fox Talbot
More interesting stuff on George Eastman
So…in the words of Franny’s Feet (a kid’s TV programme in the UK)…
“Where will my (photography) feet take me today?”
- FAQ’s – A whole new section to ATP that is derived from some of the questions I have had over the past 3 years. This will be added to and grown over time.
- Wedding Photography, getting in The Zone – A sometimes lonely place but definitely a necessary state of mind required for anyone thinking of shooting weddings.
- Camera Insurance and looking after your kit – Over time you may build up a good, solid photographic kit that you will cherish in all its black, shiny glory. Don’t let someone else take that away from you.
- Batch Processing – I hate it…and then I love it…
Next Month…
- Live Preview Video Review – Gimmick or Useful?
- The Start of ATP Canned – A kind of regular ATP TV thing…sort of…
- Not entirely sure what else yet…moving to the UK in 2 weeks…stressed…
Cheers and until next month,
Nick
All Things Photography
