Today, a photo can be taken with a single click on your smartphone - easier and faster than ever before. But behind this apparent lightness lies a centuries-long history full of experiments and groundbreaking innovations. In this blog post we delve deeper into the milestones in the history of photography and take a look at the first modern photographic processes and the emergence of the instant camera.
Part 5: The development of photography in the 20th century
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The Autochrome-Process
The brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière are known for their invention of the cinematograph, which ushered in the era of cinema. They also set new standards in the world of photography: With the Autochrome process, they developed the first industrially produced color photography process.
The Three-Color-Process as a basis
The basis for the autochrome process was the work of Louis Ducos du Hauron, an early pioneer of color photography. The Lumière brothers took up his idea of the three-color process and developed it significantly further. A major advance was the reduction of the process to using a single glass plate, rather than multiple plates to record different color spectra.
The Autochrome-Plates
The Autochrome process was based on the use of a glass plate covered with a light-sensitive layer. Microscopically small potato starch granules colored blue, red and green served as color filters and were spread on the glass plate. This made it possible to capture detailed color photographs.
A characteristic feature of the Autochrome images was their slightly grainy appearance, which is due to the structure of the starch granules used.
Importance for photography
As early as 1904, the Lumière brothers achieved initial success with their process. The decisive step came in 1907 when they began industrial production of Autochrome plates. These plates were widely used and were sold successfully until the 1930s.
Beginning of the 35mm cameras – the original Leica
As color photography continued to evolve, inventors looked for ways to make the then bulky and cumbersome plate cameras smaller. This led to the development of 35mm cameras. Particularly noteworthy in this context is the “original Leica”. Its inventor, the mechanic and amateur photographer Oscar Barnack, originally wanted to develop a device for precise exposure control for cinema films.
From idea to prototype
Barnack began his experiments in 1910. The aim was to replace the bulky and heavy plate cameras of the time with a handy device. He used 35mm cinema film as a basis, which he converted into a new format: 24×36mm, which is still used worldwide today as a 35mm format.
In 1913 he developed a small box at Leitz in Wetzlar that was originally intended as an exposure tester for film strips. This prototype became the basis of the “Ur-Leica”. In addition to its compact format, the camera allowed up to 36 shots to be taken in series.
The "original Leica" and its breakthrough
As early as 1914, Leitz had a small series of hand-made “Ur-Leica” models manufactured and registered a patent. Barnack tested the prototype himself and was convinced that the camera was ideal not only for film tests, but also for photography. After the First World War, however, it took until 1925 for the Leica to be mass-produced.
Kodachrome
While 35mm cameras established themselves on the market, color photography also made significant progress. In 1935, Kodak released Kodachrome, a film that had a lasting impact on color photography for decades. Developed by Kodak employees Leo Godowsky Jr. and Leopold Mannes, Kodachrome was one of the first successful color slide films and was valued by both professional and amateur photographers.
The process
The Kodachrome process relied on a three-layer black and white film, with each layer sensitive to one of the primary colors - red, green or blue. However, the color information was not captured directly during the recording. Instead, the colors only emerged in a complex development process.
Kodachrome was known for its exceptional color quality. The colors were not only brilliant, but also extremely stable. In addition, Kodachrome offered outstanding sharpness, which enabled detailed images.
The end of an era
With the triumph of digital photography and the spread of new technologies, analogue color photography became increasingly less important. The complex development of Kodachrome also contributed to the decline in demand for the film. Kodak finally stopped production in 2009.
Instant photography
The history of photography is marked by numerous innovations, but few of them have changed the way we capture moments as fundamentally as the invention of instant cameras.
Edwin Land and the invention of the instant camera
The inventor of the instant camera was the physicist Edwin Land. He supposedly got the idea for instant photo technology from a question from his daughter: Why you couldn't see a photo straight away. Inspired by this question, he set out to develop a solution.
In 1947 the time had finally come: Land presented his groundbreaking invention - a camera that produced a fully developed image within 60 seconds. It wasn't the camera itself that was revolutionary, but the technology that was hidden inside. The key was the so-called “separation film”, in which the exposed negative was transferred directly to a positive. When you pulled the photo out of the camera, the film automatically distributed a developer paste between the positive and negative.
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Polaroid: The epitome of the instant camera
With the introduction of the first Polaroid instant camera, the rapid rise of Edwin Land's company “Polaroid” began. The cameras quickly became a symbol of instant photography.
Further information
About the company: www.picturemaxx.com Contact: marketing@picturemaxx.com
Quellen:
Das Autochrome-Verfahren: Schweizer Kameramuseum: Die Autochrome-Platten der Gebrüder Lumière. Die Autochrome-Platten der Gebrüder Lumière | Camera Museum
Die "Ur-Leica": Leica: Unternehmensgeschichte. (2023). Foto Magazin: Leica - fotoMAGAZIN
Kodachrome: Schweizer Kameramuseum: Die Farbfotografie: Die Farbfotografie | Camera Museum und Foto Magazin "Kodachrome-Film: Das Ende einer Legende": Kodachrome-Film: Das Ende einer Legende - fotoMAGAZIN
Die Polaroid-Sofortkamera: Spiegel Geschichte: Polaroid-Erfinder Edwin Land und die ersten Testaufnahmen - DER SPIEGEL
Zuletzt aufgerufen am 17.12.2024