Blog 2: History in Pictures

History In Pictures:
The Evolution of the Camera

1. Camera Obscura: 400 BC - 1800 CE

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/51a57431e4b07c0410ab2d9e/1583942882381-JHPVRYHAJDTQI75TH7YF/001_a01_camera_obscura_abrazolas.jpg

2. Daguerreotype Camera (Early Photographic Camera): 1840 - 1860

https://daily.jstor.org/the-daguerreotypes-famous-why-not-the-calotype/

3. Kodak Brownie (Film Camera): 1900 - 1990

 https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8405048/kodak-portrait-brownie-camera

4. Sony Mavica (Digital Camera): 1990 - 2000

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/sony-mavica-prototype-worlds-first-electronic-still-video-camera--253960866461478897/

5. Smartphone Camera: 2000 - Present

https://www.wired.com/story/use-your-phone-as-webcam/

Camera Evolution Overview:

Beginning as a dark box and evolving into one of the key parts of society, the camera has undergone a fascinating transformation throughout history. The camera obscura was the earliest recorded prototype. It used a dark room with a small hole to project an inverted image onto a wall, allowing scientists, scholars, and artists to observe different perspectives and images. Many years later, photographic cameras were produced, such as the Daguerreotype Camera, which could permanently capture an image using the same technique as the camera obscura, but with modern technology. Shortly thereafter, film cameras like the Kodak Brownie were developed, opening photography up to the public as they were portable, simple, and affordable. Then, as society entered the digital age, so did cameras, and the first digital cameras, like the Sony Mavica, were created. Digital cameras not only capture a picture, but also allow for immediate viewing and more storage. Smartphones were eventually released, and they included their own built-in digital camera, not just for immediate viewing, but immediate sharing. Over centuries, the camera has become one of the most important technologies of our society, and while it has improved greatly from the small box it once was, it has also worsened in a few areas. Throughout its evolution, the camera has become faster, more affordable, more accessible, and has captured higher-quality photographs. However, the camera has also become more fragile, more difficult to repair, and can sometimes overprocess photographs, making them appear unnatural.