Recently, my friend and fellow Photofocus author, Levi Sim, called me up and asked me about how I print my photos for my clients. We discussed the options I have and where I like to have them printed and he asked me if I had ever used acrylics. I shared with him that truthfully, I didn't really enjoy acrylic prints. I find them to be a bit too much "in your face" with their super reflective nature. I always found that the acrylic got in the way of the viewing experience. He proceeded to tell me about what ArtisanHD is doing with a new product … [Read more...] about A New Kind of Acrylic: TruLife
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History of Photography: The Photo-Secession Movement
Camera Work In 1902 Stieglitz, along with Joseph T. Kelley launched Camera Work, a quarterly publication that supported the ideals of the Photo-Secession movement with the purpose of to "loosely hold together those Americans devoted to pictorial photography in their endeavor to compel its recognition, not as a handmaiden of art, but as a distinctive medium of individual expression." Photo-Secession encompassed pictorialism, which holds that the manipulation of an image to create the photographer's subjective perspective was more important than … [Read more...] about History of Photography: The Photo-Secession Movement
History of Photography: What is Pictorialism?
In the late 1800's photography was still basically like a baby giraffe learning how to get up and walk for the first time. Photography didn't really know what it was, processes were still being invented and refined and there was still great debate between it's uses for amateurs, scientists/engineers, and artists. More clubs and associations began popping up, including the founding of the Professional Photographers of America and the establishment of photography degrees at schools such as the Chicago College of Photography. These all aimed to … [Read more...] about History of Photography: What is Pictorialism?
History of Photography: An introduction to Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz is a name many photographers may recognize as "a big deal" but also a name that they might not be well acquainted with. While Stieglitz sets a lot of things in motion for photography's growth, I want to revisit his earliest days in photography. Beginnings In 1881, Stieglitz was working with a mechanical engineer in Berlin, Hermann Wilhelm Vogel. Vogel was known for his work with orthochromatic emulsions and an avid photography enthusiast. His work and passions rubbed off on Stieglitz who began being curious about photography … [Read more...] about History of Photography: An introduction to Alfred Stieglitz
History of Photography: Early Stages of Color
Since the beginning, everyone wanted color photographs. Images being black and white only was a chief complaint about photography. Initially, there were a few "successes"; Sir John Herschel was able to record blue, green and red on paper coated with a silver chloride solution, but he was unable to "fix" (make it permanent) it. This is very interesting as it was the first suggestion that color could be recorded directly on a chemically sensitive material just by the light itself. Levi Hill claimed to have created a permanent process in 1851 but … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Early Stages of Color
History of Photography: Advances in Technology for Negatives
Photography moves from wet plates to dry There's no denying that the wet plate process was not easy. It took considerable time, planning, effort, money, supplies, and proper logistics to execute and to top it off, the chemicals and fumes from the alcohols and ethers were health hazards. In 1860, a French scientist called Taupenot produced the first ever collodion dry plates. Since they didn't require the whole wet plate prepping process, photographers were attracted to them, however, their flaws were quickly discovered in that these new … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Advances in Technology for Negatives
Luminar 2018: My First Impressions
Macphun (Skylum Software) just dropped their latest version of their editing tool, Luminar 2018 and I decided to check it out. I'm not typically one to edit my work with tons of filters and actions, and those that I do use, I tend to use sparingly, so I wanted to see what Luminar 2018 had in store and how much finesse their tools had. Seeing as I just got back from an epic journey to South Africa, I had a lot of fun images to play with. First Impressions: Pros One of the major things I like about Luminar 2018 is its flexibility. It can … [Read more...] about Luminar 2018: My First Impressions
History of Photography: The Snapshot
The introduction of the Kodak camera and it’s ensuing popularity started an entirely new school of thought in photography; the snapshot. Previously, "snapshot" was used by hunters as a term that meant to shoot instinctively without taking aim. Soon the term became quite appropriate for photography as well. The increasing ease (technically and financially) of taking a photograph led to more and more people shooting spontaneously and indiscriminately. People were free to take a multitude of photos of their everyday lives--from the places they … [Read more...] about History of Photography: The Snapshot
History of Photography: Introduction of Kodak
In the early life of photography, cameras (and all the gear that came with them) were large, heavy, and cumbersome. The wet plate processes, the only one available, required the photographer (or an assistant) to do the development. This added considerably to the time, expense, and skill level required to make a "simple" photograph. In 1888 George Eastman invented roll film, then brought forth the Kodak camera and changed the entire face of photography forever. Or at least until they invented digital capture, which once again, changed … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Introduction of Kodak
History of Photography: Industrialization
In the late 1800's the world was beginning to take shape into something more of what it looks like today. Industrialization was coming to cities and taking them, literally, to the next level. Ships were being built larger and larger. Railroad systems were being expanded into uncharted territory. Industrialization brought birth to a lot of great things, one of which was introducing new visual problems for photographers to solve. Prior to these massive skyscrapers, ships, and trains, our landscapes were serene and unspoiled (okay, maybe less … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Industrialization
History of Photography: Mobile Studios
As long as photography remained chained to any sort of wet plate process, photographers found themselves encumbered by massive hardships in order to "take the show on the road". However, as transportation networks grew, architectural technology advanced, and people began exploring the world more, there was increasing demand for images of new lands and architectural feats. Three types of travel photography began to emerge: amateur (where people took photos solely for their personal memories), official (where government entities hired … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Mobile Studios
History of Photography: Julia Margaret Cameron
As a woman, I naturally celebrate a little when I look back in the history of photography and see other women who have made significant contributions to my craft. In a field that perceptually (even to this day) seems to be dominated by males, it's nice to remember that women also had hands in this industry from its early stages. Julia Margaret Cameron is one of those women. Cameron was a British woman living in the British Colonial system in India in the mid-1800's. She was a privileged woman, which allowed her to … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Julia Margaret Cameron
History of Photography: Henry Peach Robinson
Last time, we talked about how Rejlander pushed the envelope with the conventional view of photography as art (thus far). There was another, slightly younger, contemporary of Rejlander's named Henry Peach Robinson to whom we also owe credit to for pushing the art of photography along as well. Robinson, a portrait photographer in the mid-1850's, was inspired to explore combination printing by Rejlander's "The Two Ways of Life". One of his most known pieces is that entitled "Fading Away". A tableaux scene made from 5 combined negatives, that … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Henry Peach Robinson
History of Photography: Oscar Rejlander
The battle for photography's place in the fine art world is a road that is long and seemingly never ending at times, even today. In the 1800's especially, photography struggled for a place at the table and one man, in particular, pushed the envelope: Oscar Gustave Rejlander. During the Victorian Era, photographic standards of art were mostly based on comparisons to painting. In other words, the photo had to look real, but not too real. Many photographers chose to use sub standard lenses, smudge the lenses or plates, and even introduce camera … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Oscar Rejlander
History of Photography: Is Photography Art?
Is photography art? This seemingly simple question is anything but. Since the earliest days of photography, critics and photographers themselves have questioned if it's purely a mechanical, commercial process or one that is intrinsically woven as another thread into the totality of the arts. In the 1850's, the patents on photography held by William Henry Fox Talbot were relaxed. The photography industry saw an influx of professionals seeking to meet the needs of an ever growing public's demand for photos and portraits. These professionals … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Is Photography Art?
History of Photography: Brady, Gardner, and The Civil War
It's odd to think of war as a way for photographers to hone their skills. In the Spring of 1861 when the American Civil War broke out, it presented photographers with just such an opportunity. Initially, people thought the war would be won quickly (particularly those in the North.) Photographers figured they could make images of heroic soldiers and easily sell them to collectors and the media to mark the historic occasion. As we now know, the American Civil War was anything but swift and bloodless. It incurred over 620,000 deaths, making it … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Brady, Gardner, and The Civil War
History of Photography: Photos as Propaganda
As photography evolved, one theme remained fairly constant in the public's opinion: seeing is believing. People generally regarded photographic prints as evidence of truth and reality. Steadily becoming more mobile, photographers tended to photograph scenes of current events wide, because as much visual information as could be jammed into a photo, the better the photo was considered. A tight crop didn't give the viewer nearly as much information to digest as a wide shot. It was believed there was more truth and accuracy in wider shots than … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Photos as Propaganda
History of Photography: Muybridge and Marey
Between the 1850's and 1880's two men, Eadweard Muybridge and Etienne-Jules Marey both were using photography to further the study of locomotion (or movement) of humans and animals. However, they both had different approaches and motives. The Running Horse Muybridge was commissioned by the builder of the Central Pacific Railroad, Leland Stanford, to provide proof that when a horse galloped, there is a point at which it has all four feet off the ground. The quest was difficult. Initial use of a wet plate was too slow for to get a sharp … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Muybridge and Marey
History of Photography: Stereoscopic Photography
Stereostopic photography is yet another blip in the history of photography where the photograph was still working to find its' true identity. It's based on binocular vision, which is the action of the brain associating two slightly different images (each one through a separate eye) as one image which in turn creates an effect of depth. Given it's introduction in the early 1800's, you can imagine the novelty of this early "virtual reality" that people experienced! We owe the beginning of stereoscopic photography to a man by the name of Sir … [Read more...] about History of Photography: Stereoscopic Photography
Ambrotypes and Tintypes
In my last History of Photography article, I talked about the wet plate, or collodion process and how it was quickly adopted as the status quo in the industry. Like many things that are popular, offshoots are invented by people looking for their own piece of the pie. In the mid-1850's a daguerreotypist in Philadelphia, PA named a new spinoff process ambrotype. Ambrotypes are made from the collodion process but were a positive-looking image on glass. Like daguerreotypes, it produced a one of a kind image, laterally reversed, had similar … [Read more...] about Ambrotypes and Tintypes
Rise of The Wet Plate Process
After Talbot introduced the calotype (see my previous article here), the world was in search of something photographic in between the calotype's unique paper characteristics and the daguerreotype's pristine, crystal clear detail. In the 1840's photographers began making the move to glass plates instead of a silvered plate as it was much less expensive and completely smooth. In 1847 a man by the name of Claude Félix Abel Niépce de Saint-Victor (Nicéphore Niépce's cousin) had a breakthrough. You see, using glass was cheaper and produced excellent … [Read more...] about Rise of The Wet Plate Process
The Calotype: An Overview
In my last history of photography article, I talked about William Henry Fox Talbot, the inventor of the Calotype. Here, I want to explore how the calotype evolved within photography and how it evolved the photographic world. In the 1840's, Daguerreotypes were still hugely popular. Their "look" was unlike anything else, and society was not convinced of the calotype's prowess. After all, it has not been politically vetted (Daguerre had received a pension and high honors from the state for his invention) and financial backing was lacking. … [Read more...] about The Calotype: An Overview
William Henry Fox Talbot: An Overview
William Henry Fox Talbot was an English scientist and scholar in the early 1800’s. Although he was a contemporary of Daguerre, his contributions to photography were independent of what was going on with Daguerre and in mainland Europe. In 1834, Talbot was able to create a different camera based image process that utilized the photosensitivity of silver salts, called the salted paper print. In a salted paper print, Talbot took ordinary paper and coated it with sodium chloride, let it dry, then recoated it with silver nitrate. The result … [Read more...] about William Henry Fox Talbot: An Overview
The Daguerreotype
As is often the case with history, it seems that time moves slowly until it explodes in a flurry of invention and then seemingly all at once everything changes. To me, this feels especially true in photography. In my previous articles, the sheer expanse of time from the first inklings of photographic concepts to the actualization of recording images by chemical reactions of light is astounding. It takes ages. Yet, once the daguerreotype appears all at once, things begin to change. First things first. What exactly is a daguerreotype? It’s not … [Read more...] about The Daguerreotype
Niépce, Daguerre, and Herschel: The Essential Founders of Photography
The history of photography is vast and fascinating. It didn’t develop like other art forms and comparatively, photography is in its’ infancy. Looking at where our craft came from is a great way to find new appreciation and inspiration for your work in the future. While not a complete history of photography, this weekly column aims to introduce Photofocus readers to some of the aspects of this often overlooked part of learning photography and inspire them to think about their work in new and different ways. Niépce, Daguerre, and Herschel: … [Read more...] about Niépce, Daguerre, and Herschel: The Essential Founders of Photography
The Beginning & Camera Obscura
The history of photography is vast and fascinating. It didn’t develop like other art forms and comparatively, photography is in its’ infancy. Looking at where our craft came from is a great way to find new appreciation and inspiration for your work in the future. While not a complete history of photography, this weekly column aims to introduce Photofocus readers to some of the aspects of this often overlooked part of learning photography and inspire them to think about their work in new and different ways. The Beginning & Camera … [Read more...] about The Beginning & Camera Obscura
Drobo migration from Drobo to Drobo5D
Since I've gotten a Drobo, I have to say, I really enjoy it. It's nice having a user friendly RAID array of drives not just for the capacity they provide, but for the data protection they provide. In case you're wondering about more reasons why you'd want one, check out this previous Photofocus article here. So I've been dragging my feet on this for quite a while. I know I've needed to do it, but for fear of it being a "big deal" I've been putting off migrating and updating from my Drobo Generation 3 to my new Drobo 5D. "It's the busy … [Read more...] about Drobo migration from Drobo to Drobo5D
Photographer of The Day: Drew Gregory
Category: Wedding Photographer: Drew Gregory I chose this photo because of the overwhelming skill Drew showed in balancing the bright back light with the bridal party's skin tones. When there's such strong light in the middle of the day, it can be very tricky to overcome the dark shadows that would naturally occur, without making the image look overly "flashy". Kudos to Drew for finding the right balance! Photo originally shared on our Photofocus Flickr Page here. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read … [Read more...] about Photographer of The Day: Drew Gregory
Photographer of The Day: Thomas Pivovarnik
Category: Wedding Photographer: Thomas Pivovarnik I chose this photo because it is a beautifully classic moment that Thomas captured expertly. He captured joy and excitement. Everything is clear and in focus, which I can tell you is not always easy when the rice is being thrown. Sometimes focusing systems get tricked with all the moving parts. Bravo, Thomas! Photo originally shared on our Photofocus Flickr Page here. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of The Day: Thomas Pivovarnik
Photographer of The Day: Brennan Schnell
Category: Wedding Photographer: Brennan Schnell I chose this moment because of the playfulness it showed. Weddings don't always have to be about smiling faces or romance. The couple Brennan was photographing obviously had a style all their own. Her, a vintage flair, him, his Scottish heritage evident in a kilt. I like when photographers pay attention to the little details. Especially ones that reveal the clients' personalities. Photo originally shared on our Photofocus Flickr Page here. To learn how your work can be featured on … [Read more...] about Photographer of The Day: Brennan Schnell
