Pre-digital Photographic Technology
How did photojournalists do their jobs without portable cameras, changeable lenses, and digital film? No one really thinks about this question because people are so invested in what we currently have rather than appreciate the process and evolution it took to get here. Nevertheless, photojournalism has been important for centuries and consistently continues to be important. In the article on Gordon Parks, it read, “I saw that the camera could be used as a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of wrongs, I knew at that point I had to have a camera.”Although it has always been important, that does not mean it has always been as easy as it is now. In previous videos, Professor Nordell states that people used to wait in lines to see pictures because not everyone had access to them. In his most recent video “Before Pixels Part 1, Professor Nordell says that photojournalists used to have to make their subjects sit completely still for up to 8 minutes just so that a single picture could be taken. Often times subjects would have to use braces to keep their head and body completely still while their picture
was being taken over that 8 minute period.
Over time, the technology of cameras evolved making taking pictures apart of our daily lives. One of the most influential cameras on photojournalism was the interchangeable lens for the 35 mm SLR camera. This camera with these features were invented between 1987-1991. This camera was not only portable, but it also had the ability to change lenses for specific shots. Lenses are such an important part of the camera that people often overlook. It allows photojournalists to scale down the large life-size image in front of them to fit into a smaller, yet easy to view version of the same image. This is a crucial part of their job because no publisher would want to publish life-size images. Lenses are also important to photojournalists because they help focus the light hitting the lens. Lastly, they allow the photojournalist to stay out of harm's way during the shot. There are lenses for close shots and long shots and you can adjust them based on the perspective you want the picture to be viewed from. In his other video, “Before Pixels Part 2,” he said that because of portable cameras being introduced in the 1950s-1960s this allowed photojournalists to be more discrete when taking their pictures. Now imagine having a camera not only portable but having a lense the could take an image from far away and make it seen closer. This was a game-changer for photojournalists and photographers around the world.
Comparison of different cameras to SLR
Taken with SLR
Taken with an iPhone
Image Source: Leah Przybyszewski
This picture I took over the weekend of my dog Harley using my iPhone camera. I have the iPhone 8 which is the third newest iPhone. The newer phones have very advanced cameras. Comparing my digital iPhone camera to the SLR camera photo, there is no comparison between the two images. The SLR camera has the ability to change lenses and blur the background focusing the image on the subject. In the image, I took of my dog The image is not focused on only my dog, it is focused on everything in the picture because everything is clear with clean defined lines. Normally, newer means better. And in some cases this is true, however, in this case, I would have to say that the quality of the SLR image is much better than the quality of my iPhone image. Also, in the first picture, it shows the difference between an SLR image with a basic lense and an SLR image with a specified lense having the ability to blur the background and it makes a huge difference in the quality of the image. The third picture in the row is clearly the best picture and that is using the SLR camera with an interchangeable lens.
With these comparisons in mind, it shows just how being able to change a lens can completely change an image. These features have been able to transform photojournalists' lives. Instead of having to set up a camera, camera stand, and set up the subject so they can comfortably stay still for 8 minutes, photojournalists and pull out their camera at any given moment and capture a moment in time. Part of being a photojournalist is being prepared to take a picture, and being prepared is so much easier with the technology we have today. In his video, Weegee says, “news photography teaches you to think fast, to be sure of yourself, and be confident.” I believe that with the technology we have today, it is much easier to be confident in your pictures because of the quality of cameras that are available.
Comments
Post a Comment