PHOTOGRAPHY - The Camera

The Camera

Needles to say, there is no photography without the Camera. And the Camera has been with us for ages. Camera is simply what you use to capture and record an image. Its history dates back into antiquity. Man has always been interested in preserving a record of what he sees. The first documented attempt of such was in that is known as Camera Obscura. The principle is simply allowing light from an subject pass through a small opening to be reflected on a wall. The artist then traced the subject on the wall.

Camera Obscura. Courtesy: blog.stephens.edu

From this, Pinhole Cameras emerged as a small light proof box into which objects are projected by the same principle as the camera obscura. After some time, a means of permanent preservation of the projected image was discovered. The film was born. The film subsequently developed in complexity with varying light sensitivities. The first cameras were bulky boxes. The film being attached to the opposite end to where the hole allowing light in were placed.

Pinhole Camera. Courtesy: crestawards.org

With time, the camera became more portable and the film more sophisticated with varying light sensitivity. The plates gave way to the sheet films which eventually gave way to the roll films.
As the film was evolving, so was the camera. The age of digital cameras was born in the 1970s with the development of the digital sensors by Kodak. But digital cameras didn't arrive until the late 80s. Nowadays, the use of films in photography has almost seized.

So with this history in mind, tomorrow, we will discuss the common types of cameras we use and their advantages, disadvantages, and uses.