Photographs today are most often taken digitally. The camera has become something that almost everyone carries in their pocket. This is because cameras come in their original form, in cell phones, in computers and can even be purchased as "hidden cameras" disguised in other objects. A portrait can be taken immediately and whenever a person wants. All you have to do is reach in your pocket, press on and you are ready to go. The wonderful thing about photography today is that the photograph can also be deleted immediately and retaken if you were not happy with it. In the past you had to wait a long time to view the photograph. Today it takes seconds.
2. The subjects of photography in the past were well off, upper class citizens. They were doctors, lawyers, politicians and anyone who could afford between $2.50 and $4.50 for a photograph. Mathew Brady's which was a studio that opened in 1853 catered to these luxurious clientele (Lemagny and Rouille). However, Edward Anthony changed the process of photography and was able to lower is prices to a mere 25 cents. People would wait in line for their turn, have their photograph taken, he would then pass the photograph to a member of his team who would process it immediately for the client so they could leave with the portrait in hand (Lemagny and Rouille). By lowering his prices he allowed the joy or portraits to be extended to middle class citizens as well (Lemagny and Rouille).
Today the photographer is anyone who has access to a camera. Although there are some that study in school to learn the art of photography, some just come to it naturally. Having a portrait taken today has nothing to do with the social class to which you associate. Children have their portraits taken annually in school. The portraits are taken by a non-famous photographer who uses a plain background, asks the children to say "cheese" and the process is complete in minutes. Most "big box" stores today even have portrait studios where family photographs can be taken and developed while you complete your shopping.
However, today the photographer can also be known by fame and name and worshiped around the world. There are people who will book a photographer in advance of an engagement just to ensure the photographer will be available for their future wedding. The photographer today is someone known by name and famous for the beauty their create. The photographer is no longer the unnamed person behind the camera who asks you to say "cheese".
3. Technology has largely impacted photography both in the past and today. In the past, the constant evolution from metal to glass, from ammonia to iodine, changed the way the photograph was created. For example, Rogers Fenton in Russia, and Thomas Sutton in Italy, used the Le Grey method which involved using glazed paper in the development process (Lemagny and Rouille). This process allowed photographs to be taken away from the studio and processed at a later date. The glass process for example, required the photograph to be process immediately after it was taken (Lemagny and Rouille). Therefore, if portraits were to be taken outside, the photographer has to carry all his processing equipment as well as the camera. The glazed paper method allowed the photograph to be taken without the necessity of carrying all the extra equipment.
Today technology is ever changing. As previously stated, almost every person owns a camera. If not a camera on its own, they may own a cell phone that takes photos, or they have a computer with a webcam. After looking at the Rogers Wireless website, 6 of the 11 cell phones on showcase displayed photographs on the phones. Technology advancements has also changed the reason people take photographs. I have sat in a class where the teacher did not have their shirt properly done up and a student took a picture of the teachers exposed stomach to display on the Internet. TTC bus drivers have been caught sleeping on the job by someone who had access to a camera on their cell phone. Technology is forever changing, who knows what's next. But the evolution of the camera will be popular and wanted by all no matter the cost.
You may notice that the picture is not clear. His hands simply look like a white blob. There is little definition to his features and had the picture not been preserved digitally it would continue to deteriorate. Johannes Brahms is the man in the picture. He was a successful and wealthy pianist and composer (Wikipedia). Further proving that at the time the picture was taken, only upper social class citizens could afford the luxury of a personal portrait.
Work Cited
Lemagny and Rouille. "A History of Photography". AHistoryOfPhotography_revised.pdf - on Jan 24, 2011 4:34 PM by Gordana Icevska (version 1). Retrieved January 28th 2011. Web.
Wikipedia. "Johannes Brahms". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms. Retrieved January 30th 2011. Web.
The British Library Board. "Historic Photographs". http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/photographicproject/photographicprocesses.html. Retrieved January 30th 2011. Web.
