Early History of Photography
A camera obscura (Latin meaning dark chamber) is an optical device that led to photography and the photographic camera. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side. Light from an external scene passes through the hole and strikes a surface inside, where it is reproduced, inverted (thus upside-down), but with colour and perspective preserved. The image can be projected onto paper, and can then be traced to produce a highly accurate representation.
Artists developed various instruments to assist them in their search for the perfect perspective and the camera obsura achieved this for them.
Artists developed various instruments to assist them in their search for the perfect perspective and the camera obsura achieved this for them.
How to make a Camera Obscura
A portable camera obscura can be made out of a cardboard box. First, tape up the box to ensure that no light can penetrate it. Then cut away part of one end of the box and fix a screen of tracing paper across it. At the opposite end cut a 25mm hole in the box, cover this with kitchen foil, tape down the edges and bore a neat round hole through the foil that is no larger than the lead of a pencil. Take the box outside, or to a window, shutting out as much light as possible with a thick blanket. An upside down image of the scene outside will be seen on the screen.
A portable camera obscura can be made out of a cardboard box. First, tape up the box to ensure that no light can penetrate it. Then cut away part of one end of the box and fix a screen of tracing paper across it. At the opposite end cut a 25mm hole in the box, cover this with kitchen foil, tape down the edges and bore a neat round hole through the foil that is no larger than the lead of a pencil. Take the box outside, or to a window, shutting out as much light as possible with a thick blanket. An upside down image of the scene outside will be seen on the screen.
Labelled diagram of a Nikon DSLR camera with all built-in functions
Comparing the Human Eye to a Camera
Both the camera and the human eye have a lens that focuses light into an inverted image. One major difference between the two lenses, though, is that while a camera lens moves closer or farther from an object in order to bring it into focus, the lens of the human eye stay stationary. To bring an object into focus, muscles in the eye respond to instructions from the brain and change the shape of the lens, thus sharpening the image.
Additionally, the eye's retina is like a camera's film or sensor onto which light is cast. In the eye, light passes through the lens and hits the retina, where rods and cones help transform the received image into electric impulses that are sent along the optic nerve to the brain. While both the retina and a camera's film or sensor are all highly sensitive to light, the eye is much more so, and performs much better in the dark - even without a flash.
To allow the right amount of light, both the eye and a camera have an aperture. The eye's version is its iris working together with the pupil, which, just like a camera aperture, widens or narrows depending on the amount of ambient light. Therefore, just the right amount of light hits either the eye's retina or camera's film or sensor so as to present a clear image.
Both the camera and the human eye have a lens that focuses light into an inverted image. One major difference between the two lenses, though, is that while a camera lens moves closer or farther from an object in order to bring it into focus, the lens of the human eye stay stationary. To bring an object into focus, muscles in the eye respond to instructions from the brain and change the shape of the lens, thus sharpening the image.
Additionally, the eye's retina is like a camera's film or sensor onto which light is cast. In the eye, light passes through the lens and hits the retina, where rods and cones help transform the received image into electric impulses that are sent along the optic nerve to the brain. While both the retina and a camera's film or sensor are all highly sensitive to light, the eye is much more so, and performs much better in the dark - even without a flash.
To allow the right amount of light, both the eye and a camera have an aperture. The eye's version is its iris working together with the pupil, which, just like a camera aperture, widens or narrows depending on the amount of ambient light. Therefore, just the right amount of light hits either the eye's retina or camera's film or sensor so as to present a clear image.
Family Photographs
In terms of similarities, both the past and modern photographs have a similar composition to them, by which the positioning of the people in the photograph are in a line and/or row. However, in the first photo, we notice how the positioning of everyone is much more structured and are evenly spread out, while the second photo has a predominantly scattered placing. For costumes and properties, we notice in the first photograph how smartly dressed they all are, unlike the much more casual dressing of the second photo. This is due to the first picture being a special occasion, a wedding, whereby everyone is expected to dress much more formally than the casual dressing of the second picture. The use of flowers was also part of the tradition reflected upon society at the time as it was tradition to have many bouquet
of flowers at weddings. In terms of expressions used, the older photo includes less expression of happiness for the occasion, possibly due to the longevity of taking the photo compared to modern day cameras. The setting and location of the first photo is next to a church for the wedding while the second is simply in a room inside a house, whereby people will act more casually than being next to a church. The setting of the first photograph is far more formal, hence the setting and location is reflected in there expression by being more sensible than the second photo. As the first picture was taken approximately in the 1930s, the quality of print was to a much lesser degree than the current advanced printing nowadays due to very few coloured picture cameras produced due to its high cost.
of flowers at weddings. In terms of expressions used, the older photo includes less expression of happiness for the occasion, possibly due to the longevity of taking the photo compared to modern day cameras. The setting and location of the first photo is next to a church for the wedding while the second is simply in a room inside a house, whereby people will act more casually than being next to a church. The setting of the first photograph is far more formal, hence the setting and location is reflected in there expression by being more sensible than the second photo. As the first picture was taken approximately in the 1930s, the quality of print was to a much lesser degree than the current advanced printing nowadays due to very few coloured picture cameras produced due to its high cost.
Difference in Shutter Speed and Aperture
The aperture affects not only the amount of time required to take a photo, but also the depth of field within it. With a wide aperture (a low number, for example f/1.8) gives a shallow depth of field - sometimes less than a millimetre with a macro lens. Because a lot of light is reaching the sensor (be it film or digital), this allows for fast shutter speeds. With a narrow aperture (a high number, for example f/22), the depth of field is much greater, which is useful for things like landscape photography - it will limit the amount of light reaching the sensor, so it will give you slower shutter speeds, which makes a tripod useful. Fast shutter speed is typically whatever it takes to freeze action. Slow shutter speed is considered to be the slowest shutter speed that you can handle without introducing camera shake. Some of the newer Nikon lenses have special “vibration reduction” technology within the lens that can handle shutter speeds of up to 1/10th of a second (depending on photographer’s technique), hand-held. Long shutter speeds are typically above 1 second, when you have to use a tripod to get acceptably sharp images (for low-light/night photography or to capture movement). In summary, high shutter speeds freeze action, while low shutter speeds create an effect of motion. |
I think that my photographs were successful as you can notice the difference in exposure between them, showing how slow shutter speeds can increase the light intensity on the picture. You can also notice the effect of motion of the slow shutter speed, capturing the upwards motion of the jump, while the fast shutter speed freezes the action while in the air.