Camera Phones

The world's first camera phone, the J-SH04

The first cell phone with a built in camera was produced by Samsung in June 2000. It was called the SCH-V200 and was able to take 20 photos at 0.35 megapixels. However, in order to get hold of the images you had to plug the phone into your computer, so essentially it was less of a camera phone and more of a camera and a phone sharing a body. This is why it is often argued that the first real camera phone is the J-SH04, produced by Sharp in November 2000, as it could take photos on the camera phone and then send them electronically using your phone without the need for a computer.
These phones were released in South Korea and Japan respectively, however, camera phones only reached America in 2002 when the Sanyo SCP-5300 was released. It could capture 0.3 megapixel shots at 640 x 480 pixels and had a basic flash, white balance control, self-timer, digital zoom and various effects such as black and white or sepia. Although, America was slow to start producing camera phones they were incredibly popular and by the end of 2003 over 80 million had been sold worldwide.  
As the years went on, camera phones went from strength to strength as Nokia, Sony, Samsung and many other mobile phone companies contributed to improving the camera phone. Now in the smartphone age camera phones are better than ever, with many mobile companies competing to produce the best camera phone. Currently, it seems the iPhone 6 and the Nokia Lumia 1020 are the best camera phones available.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 

The iPhone 6

Not only have camera phones made it easier to get involved in photography it has also made social media much more popular. Instagram, the social media app focusing on sharing everyday pictures easily, now has more than 150 million users. Flickr another photo sharing site has 92 million users and snapchat has over 100 million users. All of these apps and social media sites focus on sharing photographs with friends, without the invention of the camera phone these would cease to exist as their main selling point is the ability to take a photo and instantly share with others worldwide. This clearly shows that camera phones on the world of social media.
However, I think their biggest impact was on the photography world as suddenly people no longer need a phone and a separate camera as camera phones are portable, easy to use and able to send pictures to anyone instantly. With the introduction of smartphones, I found that camera companies sales dropped massively as they are now competing with a device that can take great quality photos as well as being able to communicate with others, go online and play music, basically a device that does everything the consumer needs. For most people, it has created an easier way for them to capture every day moments on an easy to use device and allow others to get involved in photography without having to buy both a camera and a phone. Frankly, I think camera phones seem to be taking over the world of photography in an exciting and innovative fashion.

Bibliography: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/camera-phone-history/

Down By The River

Original Unedited Photograph

Edited Photograph

I took this picture by the River Tweed at the same time that I took the 'river reeds' photograph. I took the picture from a low angle as I wanted to capture both the autumnal trees and their reflections between the rocks. In comparison to 'river reeds' I wanted to keep this photograph in colour as I felt it was a better representation of autumnal colours, whereas, 'river reeds' gives the colder effect of Autumn due it being in black and white. In order to keep the autumnal colours and fully enhance their vividness in the above photograph, I increased both the contrast and saturation when editing in iPhoto.
This photograph was shot on my bridge camera, a Lumix FZ200, at aperture f/2.8, shutter speed 1/60 seconds and ISO 125.

Robert Thompson

Robert Thompson is an Irish natural history photographer who specialises in macro and close up photography. He grew up in Northern Ireland where his interest for natural history started. With over 20 years of experience he is now considered to be one of Ireland's foremost nature photographers. His work is widely published in the UK, Ireland and internationally and his photographs are represented by a number of agencies including, Natural History Photographic Agency, Photoshot and Nature Picture Library in the UK. He is also a writer and contributor to the photographic press and other natural history publications. As a photographer, author and entomologist he has appeared on television and radio relating to natural history and photography in Ireland and his images have appeared in Nikon Pro Magazine and Nikon UK. He is also an active conservationist and is involved in many conservation projects in Ireland.

As a lesser known photographer I found Robert interesting to research as he incorporated his passion for natural history into his photography. I think his pictures are truly amazing as his use of depth of field enhance his photographs by focussing all the attention on very small yet detailed objects. I also enjoyed his use of colours as the soft palette colours compliment the harsh green backgrounds that often appear in his work. Below are some of my favourites: 

Bibliography/: http://www.robertthompsonphotography.com/

Macro Photography

Macro photography is essentially shooting very close up and detailed images of small items which produces a photograph showing the item to be larger than life size. For example the ant below appears to be very large when in fact it is very small in reality.



Macro photography used to be very complicated and difficult as a lot of additional equipment was required to produce a great photograph using an SLR film camera. However, the introduction of digital cameras has allowed macro photography to be very easy yet still very effective. This is due to the macro mode most digital cameras now possess. The macro mode adjusts the cameras settings to those that best suit close focusing. Unfortunately, on most digital cameras once this mode has been enabled the photographer is then unable to adjust the aperture and shutter speed. Both elements can alter the final image and so are very important to macro photography. Most professional photographers use specific macro lenses, usually 100mm macro lenses, on their DSLR which enable them to alter the aperture and shutter speed and avoid issues like optical distortion.

When shooting macro photography you need a steady camera and subject, usually achieved through using a very good tripod. For most images you want a large aperture to decrease the depth of field and blur the background and a very fast shutter speed to ensure the image is sharp, however, it is a very subjective issue and completely depends on the photographers preferences. Another tip is not to get too close to your object as you could cause camera shadows on the object and to use natural light as this makes it less likely that you will over exposing when using a flash. Also, ensure there are no distracting objects in the background that take attention away from the object. And finally, ensure manual focusing is used as this ensures the correct part of the object is in focus, especially if you are using a short depth of field.

I really enjoyed learning about macro photography as there are many more elements involved than I originally realised in order to take a great photograph. I love the way it can completely change a very small yet detailed object which may be considered unimportant in the wider world but is given the centre of attention in the photograph making it seem very powerful and important. I hope to try producing some of my own macro photographs.

Some of my favourites:

Photographer - Elin Torger

Photographer - Carlos Porto

Photographer - Martin Amm

Photographer - Robert Taylor

Photographer - Joanna Rzeznikowska

Bibliography: http://digital-photography-school.com/macro-photography-for-beiginners-part-2
http://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/130-stunning-examples-of-macro-photography--photo-1717

The Polaroid Camera

The first Polaroid Camera, The 95 Land Camera

The Polaroid camera was invented by Edwin H. Land. He came up with the idea while on holiday in 1943 when his daughter asked him why she couldn't see the picture he just took. The first instant camera was demonstrated on February 21st 1947 and the first Polaroid 95 Land camera was sold for $89.95 on November 26th 1948. They were hugely successful and by 1956 the one millionth Polaroid camera made its way to be sold. In 1963 the first instant colour film camera was released, the Polacolour, as well as the 100 Land camera, the first fully automatic pack film and exposure control camera. Then in 1977 the most well known Polaroid camera was released, The Polaroid OneStep Land Camera. It was a fixed focus camera that used 600 film and was hugely popular as it was inexpensive. As Polaroid gained more and more popularity they have been releasing many more instant cameras until their most recent instant camera release, The Polaroid Z2300 which was released in 2012 and is an instant digital camera that produces 2x3" instant photographs.

The Polaroid Z2300, the digital instant camera 

The Polaroid OneStep Land Camera with the famous Polaroid coloured stripes. 

Producing photographs using a Polaroid camera is essentially a chemical reaction. The film inside the camera, which the photograph is developed onto, is made of many layers of light sensitive grains on a plastic sheet. Underneath the plastic sits the image layer, the timing layer and the acid layer. Below is the light sensitive layer and below that are the layers containing all the essential chemicals for the development process. At the very bottom is a black base layer. The component that starts the reaction is the reagent which sits as a blob at the border on top of the light sensitive layer. When a picture has been taken the film is pushed out of the camera through rollers which spread the reagent all over the film. The reagent then reacts with each layer as it moves downward to produce the photograph.

The development process 

I really enjoyed researching Polaroid and instant cameras as they are very interesting in the way they develop film so quickly. I love the idea that physical photographs can shared so easily as each represents a memory or a moment in time. Also, I found it interesting that although they were originally released a long time ago they are still popular to this day.

Some cool Polaroid posters:





Bibliography:  http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question6051.htm
http://www.polaroid.com/history

River Reeds

Original Unedited Photograph

Edited Photograph

I took this photograph while at the river because of the way the reeds draw your eyes into the picture. However, I didn't like the original colours in the first photograph and found changing it to a black and white image made more of an impact and added depth. I also increased the contrast and saturation to cause the upper left part of the image to become brighter as your eyes are drawn towards that area by the reeds.

I took the photograph on my bridge camera, a Lumix FZ200, with aperture f/3.2, shutter speed 1/125 seconds and ISO 100. I edited the photograph in iPhoto.

Overall I am very happy with the image as I find it intriguing even though it doesn't necessarily have a subject.

Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus was a very famous Portrait photographer who used her portraits to convey the reality of living in New York City on the 1950s and 60s.
Diane was born in New York City on March 14th 1923 and showed artistic talents early on at school. In 1941 she married actor Allan Arbus who taught her photography after discovering her artistic talents. Together they worked on advertising and fashion photography projects, some of which appeared in the magazine Vogue. However, in 1950 Diane started working on her own photography by photographing the people of New York City. She would visit unusual areas to find the most interesting people to photograph, this would later gain her recognition for her work and by the mid 1960s her work started appearing in highly regarded exhibits. However, after separating from her husband in 1969, Diane became very depressed and committed suicide on July 26th 1971.

Despite her tragic passing, Diane made a massive impact on street photography and upcoming photographers still learn from her techniques to this day. Just some of the many lessons Diane Arbus taught about street photography are as follows: firstly, go places you have never been, by putting yourself outside of your comfort zone you absorb much more about the experience and find a kind of frightening excitement. Secondly, understand you see the world very differently in comparison to how your subject sees the world, so don't try to change reality just photograph the truth. And finally, take bad photos as these teach us in times of difficulty what to avoid doing so these mistakes can avoided next time.

Her effect on street and portrait photography was so great that a movie was produced in 2006 called 'Fur', which was based on her life. Many books have also been written about her including 'An Emergency in Slow Motion: The Inner Life of Diane Arbus' written by psycho therapist William Todd Schultz, who explores Arbus' difficult life.

I found Researching Diane Arbus fascinating as she seemed to look at the world in a very excited and enthusiastic fashion in which connecting with people fascinated her. I loved the way she could capture natural emotions in all kinds of people and her ability to capture the diversity of a city was captivating. Furthermore, despite her personal issues, which eventually led to her suicide, her impact on street photography was truly groundbreaking and greatly satisfying to research.

Some of my favourite photographs shot by Diane:











Bibliography: http://www.biography.com/people/diane-arbus-9187461#unique-photography
http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/10/15/11-lessons-diane-arbus-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/

Long Exposure Photography

Long exposure photography involves increasing the shutter speed to blur parts of the image. However, increasing the shutter speed means more light is let into the lens and so the picture often comes out too bright in daylight, to solve this problem ND filters are added to the lens to darken the picture. When using ND filters, charts like the one below can be used to calculate the shutter speed that corresponds to the filter's darkness to ensure the exposure is correct.



When shooting using long exposure photography, a strong tripod and camera remote are essential as any bumps to the camera will cause the image to be out of focus. Also, covering the viewfinder with something dark stops light-leakage which can cause purple or magenta marks on the final image. In addition, the composure of the shot is vital as this is what makes the final image interesting and often compliments the long exposure effect.
Typical types of long exposure photography include, landscape photography to blur moving clouds, seascape photography to blur and soften water, night photography to create star trails across the sky and people photography to create ghost like figures.

I think long exposure photography is amazing as it can create beautiful picture just by experimenting with light. Its astonishing that current cameras can create these images considering 100 years ago simple pinhole cameras were the typical family camera. My favourite long exposure photographs have to be star trails as they add a whole different element to night photography. Also, I love that photographs are physical representations of moments in time but long exposure photography can capture multiple moments in time making each seem just as important as the last.

Below are some of my favourites that I found online:


Photographer: Sugianto


Photographer: Biran Eliel


Photographers: Dylan Toh and Marianne Lim


Photographer: Mark Burban


Photographer: Milan Malovrh

Bibliography:
 http://www.bwvision.com/ultimate-guide-long-exposure-photography/  http://www.creativebloq.com/photography/20-amazing-examples-long-exposure-photography-2132021