1. What are the main differences and similarities between portraits in the early days of photography and portraits today?
Some of the differences between portraits in the early days of photography and today are that in the early days portraits where more exclusive. One copy of the portrait would be made and it would be displayed in the home. Portraits where made for wealthy families and highly valued because of its exclusivity. Once a person died the portrait would be passed down to other family members. The invention of cameras (the Daguerreotype by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre and the Calotype by William Henry Fox Talbot) has changed the way visual scenes were captured but more importantly it allowed middle class citizens the opportunity to have their portraits taken. (Freund, 2011) An example of this is “. In 1862, the price of a single nontinted portrait ranged froIn 25 to 150 francs, depending on size” (A History of Photography by Lemagny Rouille 36-44) The only thing that could be changed about a photo was the lighting. Another difference was the amount of time that a subject had to sit in front of the camera in order to get their picture taken; many cameras would take several minute to actually capture a person’s image.
Portraits today go through many different methods to get the best picture; many can be taken at one time and retouched. With technology like Photoshop and photos cape to soften blemishes, change lighting, correct red eye, bloom, face cleaning add in things missing from the photo and air brushing, people can look as desirable as they like. And it’s becoming easy to make as many copies as you want.
As you can see Madonna image has been changed by using software like photos cape which make her so charming.
2. Who was the photographer and who was the subject of photographs in the past and today?
In the past, there were only few of the photographers and were artist and/or scientist. In fact, it was a physicist that invented the first commercialized camera. Before taking photographers with early cameras was almost a science in that time and Subjects of photographs were predominantly of nature and people. At the end of the nineteenth century, photography's relationship to the body changed with the invention and mass marketing of George Eastman's Kodak, the first snapshot camera. The ease of use and mobility of this hand-held camera (‘you push the button; we do the rest boasted the ads) made it an extension of one's own body. Already a ‘point and shoot’ camera, this early Kodak allowed individuals to take over many of the functions previously performed by professional photographers. Ever-growing masses of people could now make portraits and travel views of their own, with a camera handily carried anywhere. Within the snapshot photographs that emerged, the body itself was recorded in increasingly common and casual ways. Today anyone can be a photographer. Cameras are more accessible than ever before. And there are trained photographers whom are professionals in the art.
George Eastman's Kodak, the first snapshot camera
Louis Daguerre - inventor of first commercialized camera
3. What was the impact of technology on the portraits in the past and today?
Today everyone can take the pictures and call themselves a photographer. As we all know technology is reaching high day by day and we all are getting habitual to it. There are many differ kinds of cameras, from which now we can take as many pictures as we want with good quality too and moreover we can also use our mobile phones with good megapixel camera. As well as wifi technology enables the users to transmit their photos electronically without all the plug-in. Many cameras today also support photo enhancement features in the camera itself—much like a computer.
And after that we can upload our images with many changes in them with the help of so many photo shop software’s .But there are still photographers who are popular for taking particular kinds of pictures and in addition to them there are millions of others like paparazzi who get paid, bloggers, and journalists. Many people like to take pictures of just about anything, the subject of photographs range anywhere from landscapes, family, to friends, special events, or even just the unusual things they see day to day.
