Chapter Two: Pre-Digital Photographic Technology

It is obvious that photography has changed drastically throughout history. From wagons, dry plate collodion, and twin lens reflex cameras, to digital cameras and pixels, we are constantly evolving. Professor Nordell talks extensively about how technology has changed in terms of communication and cameras in this video. He opens by talking about how Paul Reverie was instructed “One if by land, two if by sea” to alert his allies of how the British would attack. He later transforms that iconic saying into modern-day slang by saying “Facebook if by land, and tweet if by sea”. This perfectly mimics the transformation of communication by lantern and signal to the internet and the transformation of mechanical and film cameras to digital and pixel cameras.

The biggest change I have noticed in the evolution of photography is the size and mobility of cameras and camera gear. The image of Robert Fenton’s assistant sitting on their photographic van is the perfect way to introduce how cameras have evolved in size and mobility. As explained in an article on cbsnews.com, photojournalism was born during the civil war but, unlike today, photographs can only be taken before and after the battle because the exposure time needed for the image was extensive. Photographs also took a long time to develop and all the equipment was carried in their large wagons, or photographic vans.

Taking all of that in to account, what would be the biggest solution to this problem? In my opinion, being able to take pictures quickly. Taking pictures quickly requires a small and mobile camera and fast technology. This benchmark was reached thanks to motor drives. In a second video, Professor Nordell explains motor drives. He explains that rather than taking a single picture, you could continuously take photographs by holding the shutter button down. He also states you could sometimes take up to ten frames per second. This changed the game drastically when it came to photojournalism. Not only could you capture images quickly, but you could photograph sporting events, was, and any fast-paced event.

Motor drives are no longer needed with modern technology. With the invention of digital cameras, video, and the evolution of smartphones, anyone anywhere can take multiple images within a fraction of a second. I found, while taking my photograph, that I could just take multiple images at once and later go back and pick the one I liked best. This saved time and planning when going out to take my picture.