The last 25 years have seen more technological changes in photographic technology, than in the last 125 years that preceded it. Professional photographers, photography educators and photo-enthusiasts have all needed to develop and ability to manage their range of equipment and methods of workflow constantly. This involves keeping a check on technology evolution on such sites such as DP review www.dpreview.com and from journals such as the British journal of photography www.bjp-online.com Photographers can also visit trade events such as photokina or The Photography show to keep upto date. For every successful innovation, there are numerous unsuccessful developments. Companies have to market new products to secure market share and gain revenue for development. In an era that has seen manufacturers gain market share such as Nikon. Canon Adobe and Ilford, household names such as Kodak,Agfa and Contax have all but disappeared from the market place. Background to module written by course tutor. Task 1 10 commercially unsucessful photographic technologies or products since 1992. 1. The Apple Quicktake 100 The Apple Quicktake 100 was introduced in 1994 and is regarded as the first commercial digital camera. The Quicktake 100 could store up to 32 images with a resolution of 320 x 240 (0.03mp) and used a USB cable to attach to a computer. Camera bodies had traditionally remained aesthetically the same shape for the last 100 years. The Quick take was totally different and perhaps a concept to advanced for consumers to understand or warm to. Well known camera manufacturers such as Nikon,Canon and Fuji entered the digital market with models which kept the look of traditional camera body with lens and mirror housing. Although considered to be the first commercially available camera it only lasted 3 years before it was discontinued. Other models were introduced which had been given upgrades such as focusing, aperture controls and removable storage. After the flop of the Quicktake Apple totally moved away from cameras and concentrated on the computer market. However 10 years later in 2007 Apple would introduce the Apple Iphone which would revolutionize consumer access to cameras and creating digital images. 2. APS ( Advanced photo system) APS was a camera and film format which was introduced in 1996. It was film format which was marketed by top brands and manufacturers of the time Kodak,Fuji and Agfa. The film was contained in a cartridge, the film was 24mm wide and 39mm long and was able to use 3 different image formats. H= High definition,C=Classic and P=Panoramic. The film cartridge was placed in the camera which automatically wound the film on and then back at the end of the roll or by pushing a button. Once developed in store the exposed film was rolled back up into the canister and given back to the customer with a contact sheet and a set of prints in the various formats. The Advanced photo system was aimed at the home market rather than the professional market. APS system fell by the way side when auto loading of 35mm came along and the introduction of digital cameras. Sales dropped and after just 5 years film production was ceased in 2001. 3. Casio QV-10 The Casio QV-10 was introduced to the market in 1996 as a general consumer product. THE QV-10 was the 1st commercially available camera to have an LCD viewing screen on the back of the camera. The lens section of the camera could swivel which meant the user could do a self portrait "selfie" The images produced could not compete in quality with 35mm film, poor image quality potential for software malfunctions and poor customer tech support saw the QV-10 quickly upgrade with other models. 4. Silicon Film In 1998 when digital photography was taking off Silicon film entered the film market with a statement that you could use their digital sensor film to replace conventional film and that their digital film could be loaded into existing 35mm film cameras. The Electronic file system (EFS) concept was initially considered a spoof because of the timing of its launch on April 1st. Silicon Film had a worldwide campaign even though the company could not produce a working prototype, operations were suspended in 2001 when the company made a statement that suspension was due to issues with funding and certification of the products. 5. Kodak DCS 200 The DCS 200 was the second digital camera released by Kodak in 1992. The DCs100 and DCS 200 used a traditional film camera with a digital back fitted with a 1.5 megapixel sensor. A very cumbersome looking camera which used a 35mm camera body the sensor size has a crop factor 2.5 relative to 35mm film. The camera used 10 AA batteries to operate it. 6. Canon Ion The Canon Ion was not a true digital camera but more a video recorder which extracted still images from the video and stored them on a n internal floppy disk. Viewing, storage and transferring images required use of video capture cards. The image quality was regard as no better than looking at a paused video. 7. Kodak Easyshare. Kodak followed their tradition of developing and printing of photographs whilst other manufactures pursued the digital path. In 2001 Kodak introduced the Kodak Easyshare brand which included cameras printers,docking stations and online printing services. The easyshare failed because of its poor quality also printing companies like HP produced standalone printers which allowed the user to input SD cards or USB cable to print from any camera. There was also a raise in high street and online printing services available to the public. 8. Polaroid PCC 5080 Once king of the instant film cameras Polaroids step into digital was disastrous with its introduction of the Polaroid PCC 5080 in 2006. The camera came packaged in a blister pack and was described in reviews as light and cheap with poor picture quality way below that of other 5mgp cameras. 9. Canon powershot A70 Introduced to the market 2003 the 3mgp camera from canon was designed for the point and shoot market. Initially reviewed by professionals giving it 4-5 stars it became a very popular camera. Problems started a year in with blurred images and purple lines appearing. The lens would get stuck and error codes appeared Problems started a year in with blurred images and purple lines appearing. The lens would get stuck and error codes appeared. Many were recalled for lens repair but error codes remained. bad reviews emerged which saw a slump in sales. 10. Lytro Illum. In 2014 The Lytro Illum was introduced to the market and was advertised as a revolutionary camera of the future. This light field camera used a technology that allows manipulation of focus points and aperture selection during post processing. Images can also be animated shifting from one focal plane to another. Whilst the technical spec was new and fancy the quality of the images were not that good. There were small sales which led to big cuts in the price from $1600 down to just $400 a year after its launch. Task 2 10 milestone products that have created benchmark for photographers since 1992 1. Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop was created in in 1998 it has undergone regular updates and versions. Photoshop is considered the industry standard for photo editing and is currently available as a cloud based program. Photoshop enables photographers to manipulate digital images changing exposures and use of overlayers to isolate particular parts of images. the software can completely change the whole look of a capture, skin softening, eye enhancements, change colours and back grounds, remove objects, make composite photographs. the abilities of photoshop are massive and not all relevant to photography. Adobe saw its use by photographers and produced a condensed version of photoshop and called it Lightroom the digital version of the traditional darkroom. 2. Adobe Lightroom Adobe lightroom is a photo processing software program that catalogues images. and allows for editing and re-touching. Lightroom is a version of photoshop with all the functions applicable to photographers. Lightroom entered the market in 2006 and has had several versions since becoming the most popular editing program amongst photographers. 3. Canon 5d The Canon 5D launched in 2005 was 12.8 mgp DSLR which was considered to be the first full frame camera with a standard body size. 2 other versions of the model have been made since and the Canon 5d mark 3 has become a standard benchmark for professional photographers. 4. Sd Cards Digital storage device Secure Digital Card was developed for use in portable devices, cameras and gaming devices. The SD card has become the industry standard with memory capacity increasing year on year currently around 240gb capacity in 5. Apple Iphone Early analog mobile phones had cameras built-in but they were in poor quality and required a PC to download the images. The launch of the iphone in 2007 was a benchmark in personal camera technology and accessibility. The emergence of the internet and social media made it easier to download , store and share images. Several versions later the iphone x nows has a 12mgp camera with in built editing software which outstrips any point and shoot camera. 6. The internet and Social media. Social media was born from the explosion of the internet with webpages, chat rooms and forums. Dedicated websites started to emerge where people could go online and socially share information and chat on-line. Users created an account and socially interacted with other members from all around the world. Early websites MySpace become popular and the forerunner to other pages. Facebook over took My space and become a global social media site with millions of members. The use of mobile phones with cameras allowed users to instantly upload images to facebook. Photography dedicated social media sites like Flicker and instagram started to develop allowing professionals and amateurs to share images. The internet allowed business and professional photographers to produce digital on-line galleries and portfolios. 7. Image stabilization Image stabilisation (IS) or Vibration reduction (VR) is a mechanical method to steady the image as it is recorded on the sensor. The advantage of using IS means cameras can operate at lower shutter speeds without causing camera shake. Nikon produced the first optional stabilisation lens in 1994 8. Mirrorless Cameras Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC), first marketed in 2004 Mirrorless cameras use a digital viewfinder,there is no mirror or mirror housing like a conventional DSLR, they do however have interchangeable lenses like a DSLR. The MILC are smaller and lighter than conventional DSLR's which makes them very appealing , however poor resolution low time lag meant MILC could not compete with the current DSLR's. Advances in technologies saw an upsurge in MILC sales and in 2012 Sony was a lead manufacturer of sensors as well as producing its own cameras. The full frame A7ii 24 mpx cost less than any full frame DSLR.The mirrorless continues to progress coupled with advances in mobile phone camera technology making it more popular with users new to photography. 9. Kodachrome Kodachrome was introduced in 1935. it was the choice of professional and used by both photographers and cinematographers. Detailed processing requirements and a widespread move to digital cameras manufacturing of Kodachrome was ceased in 2009 and processing ended in December 2010. .10. Instant Cameras Instant cameras have been around since 1948, the instant camera is so called because the film is developed within the camera. The first cameras used rolls of film and later square cartridge film cases popular in the 70-80's. Polaroid went bankrupt for the second time in 2008 it stopped production of all its film and cameras shutting down 3 of its factories. Polaroid Instant film has made a comeback in specialist novelty markets like weddings and photobooths. Task3 An illustrated explanation and diagram of my current personal technology 'map' Task 4. 5 future predications for photographic technology to happen before 2022 and why? 1. 100megapixel sensor in general consumer DSLR will become the camera at the top of the range for the biggest manufactures by 2022. Senors are continually improving,images produced solely for the internet /websites don't require large file sizes however photographers are often chasing the perfect image quality. Senors are getting smaller and smaller with greater pixel numbers allowing for smaller camera bodies which still create excellent results. There is currently a Hasselblad medium format camera with a 50mgp 10x8 sensor in a Dslr body the X1D. Nikon are currently winning the race for full frame sensors with the recently released D850 with a 45.7 megapixel camera. Whilst the sensor in a full frame camera is improving it will never be medium format. Developments in sensor shape are also changing to curved sensors which may overtake the current flat sensor. 2. Mirrorless interchangeable lens Camera (MILC) Are the days of the DSLR numbered ?The future of the camera could belong to Mirrorless camera and technologies. Mirrorless cameras have many features the DSLR does not. There is no mirror housing pentaprism making the body smaller and overall lighter. The view on the camera screen is representative of the exposure settings seen in the captured image. This prediction is representative of previous inventions and technologies like the Daguerreotype which lasted around 30 years. So a natural progression could be the MILC from film and Dslr 4. Viewing Digital images Viewing photographs and images has developed and changed over the years since the one shot enamel type images of the daguerreotype, paper for film prints, negative slides polaroids and currently digital on screens. The future of viewing images could be in Holographic technologies where images are seen in 3D as projections or immersive glasses. 5. Camera sizes Cameras have become smaller as technologies have advanced components becoming smaller with greater and better function allowing for camera to become physically smaller. This is currently happening with mobile phones where the cameras function is a major selling point. Future camera needs will be for the capability of the camera to have inbuilt functions like Bluetooth and wi-fi in camera editing software. Future mobile phone cameras could become the size of a credit card. Task 5 A diagrammatical statement of your ideal equipment needs for capture and image production for the next phase of my career The next phase of my photography journey will require a limited number of resources and equipment that will complement what I already have but will be expensive to acquire. In the main I would like to have use and have available good quality studio lights and modifiers. The lights and modifiers will be used for studio model and fashion work, corporate head shots, product and food photography. I would like to change my current camera system to mirrorless design cameras. The image quality is of a professional standard and the build quality is excellent in the leading brands. in my opinion Mirrorless will eventually replace the current DSLR. Task 6
A 1000 word reflective account of what has been learned from tasks 1-5 Photography as it is know today saw its birth in the mid 1800’s where there were several inventions and processes to produce permanent images using a number of different chemical processes. Louis Daguerre developed a process which could produce a fixed image in under 30 minutes previous processes taking up to several hours. The process required some creativity in producing a portrait image by using natural light, keeping the sitter still and creating backgrounds, this led to the beginnings of the photography studio and specialist equipment principles which are still used in today’s photography. The modern day equivalent could be that of the Kodak engineer Steven Sasson who in 1975 invented a box that would capture a digital image which took 23 seconds to record on a tape machine. His invention was shelved by Eastman kodak, Sasson’s idea was later followed up by other manufactures and inventors. The digital and computer revolution was influenced and driven by the space race of the 1950’s and 60’s. The last 50-60 years saw the growth and development of digital imaging, just as the chemical process developed over the late 1800 and early 1900’s. However just like the chemical process developed many processes fell by the wayside. The daguerreotype was used as the most popular image maker for approximately 20 years. The Inventions of calotype and celluloid films took over as the main source of image making. This also resulted in the development of camera bodies and lenses adding to the arsenal of creativity to the photographer. Whilst many of the chemical process are now obsolete much of modern day software have filters, presets and overlays which emulate finishes of chemical processing. The use of Kodachrome finishes is used creatively in gaming, games like Fallout, to give a retro look and feel to the era that the games represent. 35mm film is still around and used as a creative tool in producing images with a particular look. Current digital software allows for the digital manipulation of digital captured images to look Black and white with added ‘grain’ to look like film. So, whilst the technology has moved on the look and representations of images still have chemical processed looks about them. This is perhaps what the viewer has become accustomed to over time, also the look and style of cameras has changed little over the years although some manufactures have tried to move away from the traditional look without success. Digital inventions have risen and fallen just like those of the early days of chemical processes. Having researched photography technology in this module, it is clear to me that development and innovation will continue within the photography markets and creative arts. The massive decline in the point and shoot has been caused by the introduction of the iPhone and the smart phone mobile camera. I believe this will lead to a generation who will view images solely in the vertical on small screens just as those before became accustomed to seeing 35mm film images. The professional and enthusiast consumer has currently settled on the DSLR camera as the main stay of the camera market. Manufactures have kept the interest of the consumer with sensor sizes and increasing pixel numbers and ISO sensitivity enticing the photographer to chase the clearest noise free image. A breakthrough in sensor size was the digital full frame 35mm size sensor in the Canon 5D in 2005 which became a professional standard and used to represent the 35mm film. Again, digital cameras have taken over from film, but photographers still wanted the look of past innovations. The DSLR camera has been around since the late 1990’s we are almost 30 years on and like the daguerreotype the DSLR camera may be overtaken by a new technological advancement. The Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera is likely to take over from the traditional DSLR camera. The smaller sensor sizes emulate the smaller sizes of the smart camera phones which todays younger generation are used to. The Mirrorless interchangeable camera is smaller, lighter and cheaper in price than the equivalent DSLR camera The technology in Mirrorless interchangeable cameras are becoming better with faster focusing and fixes in shutter lag. Having done the research for this module and seen Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras in action I am convinced they are the next generation of camera and the DSLR may become as obsolete as the daguerreotype and polaroid instant camera. As part of my future equipment I am likely to covert to Mirrorless interchangeable camera system for its lightweight and smaller size with the ability to produce a high standard of images which would be acceptable for professional and commercial use. That said there is a re-emergence of the polaroid instant camera which is currently on the 2017 top Christmas present list aimed at teenagers. In my opinion likely to be a short-lived novelty/fad due to its price and inability to post to social media. In terms of creativity there is little that has not already been done. Advancements in lighting and accessories have made it possible to take the studio outside and to become very portable. I hope to use some of these lighting technologies in my business as a wedding photographer, commercial, product and corporate photography. Taking my photography and business prospects to another level I am exploring the use of a ‘failed’ technology’ to produce different and creative images using a Lytro light field camera. The Lytro light field camera can still be effective in the right setting as would 35mm monochrome or Kodachrome film would be in the right creative setting. Whilst the Lytro light field camera is considered to be a failed technology I still believe it has great potential for use within the commercial photography market in particular food photography. From this module I have learnt that technology within photography is continually moving from the early inventions and process of the late 1800’s to the modern day however slow and obscure those inventions maybe there is always some form of photographic creativity to explore even if it is using older technologies on new creative styles or older creations and techniques using new technologies to create something new in a post-modernist collective collaboration or rework.
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