The Evolution Of Photography Of Digital Photography

The evolution of photography of Digital Photography

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Computer Operating Systems

Professor Name

September 2005

A brief history of digital photography

Throughout history, man has attempted to record his exploits for whatever reason or occasion. These early attempts were simple carvings or drawings that can be found throughout the world. Contrary to what many believe, the concept of capturing an image as the world has come to know it is not a process that is relatively new. The basic ideas have been around for centuries. "An Arab, Alhazen of Basra, observed sometime in the, tenth century at light passing through a small round hole, perhaps in a tent flap or wall, would create an image of the outdoor scene on an interior wall or screen. He used this to obese eclipses of the sun. Many others, including Aristotle, had observed, this optical phenomenon, which was later used in what the Italians called the camera obscura (literally dark room). From this we got our word camera." (Rhode, 1)

Even though the basic elements of capturing light and image was in the hands of early man, it was centuries before the light image was able to be saved without the need for paints or carvings. "By 1700 the portable camera obscura had become standard equipment for many professional artists who etched image the lens cast on the ground glass. No one knew of any popular method of recording the image. Then, in 1727, Johann Heinrich Schulze, a German university professor, revealed that he had discovered that the blackening of silver salts (such as silver iodide, silver, bromide, and silver chloride), observed by others before him, was caused by light, not by heat or air. Thus the two basic steps needed for the development of photography were known: light could be used to cast an image on silver salts that would be chemically changed by the light, thereby recording the image. But a century more elapsed before anyone successfully created a permanent image with the photochem­ical reaction. (Rhode, 4)

Still, it was more than a century later before the science of using silver salts as a permanent way to capture a light image. By the middle of the 1800s photographers like Jacques Mande Daguerre were conducting numerous experiments and soon perfected, for the day, the photography fixing process. Daguerre revealed the daguerreo­type process. In brief, the daguerreotype was made by coating a copper plate with silver, which was then polished and exposed to iodine fumes. This iodized silver surface was then placed in a camera and exposed to light projected by the lens. The image on the exposed plate was developed (made visible) by placing it over a pot of heated mercury; the bright mercury adhered to parts of the plate in proportion to the amount of light exposure each part had received. The visible image thus created was fixed (made relatively permanent) in a solution of sodium thiosulphate and, finally, washed. (Rhode 4,5)

The Daguerreotype process had two major disadvantages. First it was time consuming with exposure times lasting g many minutes and second it subjected the photo developer to a variety of hazardous chemicals involving hot mercury and iodine fumes.

Over the years professional photography expanded due to peace and war operations, pushing amateurs more and more to also have avenues to capture memories. "Photography appeals to some of us because of its immediacy and realism and to others for the artistic interpretation it allows. And for almost everyone, photographs are mementos of occasions and people who mean something to us." (Robertson)

Photography has evolved into a medium allowing the average person to add a personal touch to the documentation process. "The world of photography is a personal one. We take pictures to express our feelings about people, nature, and the world around us. And as in any art of communication, be it writing, music, or art, we experience great pleasure when the results of our efforts communicate what we set out to say." (Hoy) Today, there are literally hundreds of different camera and digital image storage options. The