History of Photography

Though it was Nicèphore Nièpce who captured the first 'photograph' in 1826-27, the idea of projecting an image of real-life events predates the invention that allowed it to be captured permanently.

The oldest report of the concept dates to around 350BC, when Aristotle, famous Greek philosopher whose writings include ideas about "logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology, botany, politics, ethics, agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre." (source) He was taught by Plato and Socrates and went on to tutor Alexander the Great. Aristotle noticed the image of the partially eclipsed sun being projected onto the ground through the holes of a strainer and the gaps between the leaves of a plane tree. I once studied the ancient Greeks, and they still hold a great fascination for me. This piece of information surprised me and added to my admiration of the ancient civilisation that discovered and pioneered so much of what we still use today.

More than a millennia later the pinhole camera was invented, which are still made today. This is a device in which a pinhole in the side of a box projects the image of the light which it receives through onto the inside of the box. This was long before scientists managed to develop a way of capturing the image permanently. I made one such device when I was in college, and it really opened my eyes to the history of the medium of photography.

Already having discovered more fascinating facts about the history of photography than I though I would when I started this module, I am excited to learn more.

Haunted Photography

I am considering investigating the portrayal of hauntings in photographs for my project, using the cultural heritage of Sussex, where there are many old buildings said to be haunted.

This idea was inspired by the tales of hauntings all around Sussex, for example Michelham Priory and Herstmonceux Castle.

The effect that I envisage is a darkened location, with a bright white figure of the ghost of the place standing out, but slightly transparent to uphold the mysterious nature of the scene. Something similar to these examples:

Another photographer who captures the beauty of our stunning planet. The centre of the frozen web falls almost exactly onto the upper left third with the rising sun behind, illuminating the foreground. Photography such as this allows artists to display to others they way in which they see the world - the beauty that can be found anywhere if we simply look for it. This is the concept that I love most about the medium.

Copyright Island Visions Photography

This is a photographer who achieves what I love most about the art of photography - capturing the beauty of the world in which we live.

Angela Jayne Latham (nee Barnett)

This is a beautiful example, taken on the Isle of Skye. The photograph uses the rule of thirds to make the framing of the image and contents aesthetically pleasing to the viewer. The use of colour encapsulates the spirit of the Isle of Skye in a natural, but flattering way.

Copyright Angela Jayne Latham.

First Workshop

Today we learnt the history and basics of photography. Seeing how the highly digitised photography of today developed over the past few millennia was staggering. I'm excited to begin exploring a medium whose history stretches back to the ancient Greeks, who were incredible pioneers in many types of industry, including the arts. I find the ancient Greeks incredibly inspiring, and I am keen to discover more about photography.

Camera basics - three elements that affects how the camera captures an image:

• Aperture - this controls the amount of light that is let into the camera, having the same function as the iris of an eye.
• Shutter speed - this is the amount of time the shutter takes to close, having the same function as the eyelid of an eye. The longer the shutter takes to close, the more light is captured by the camera.
• ISO - this controls the sensitivity to light, like the lens of an eye.

I keep a Pinterest account with a pin board for photos that inspire me. I'll choose a few of my favourites and analyse them on this blog.