It is paradoxical: thanks to digital technology more photos are being taken every day than ever before, but the truly ingenious photos – and those are the ones that stay in our memory for a really long time – date from a period long before the CCD sensor was invented. To make these iconic photographs, photographers of that era had to resort to processes which were cutting-edge at the time, but seem more like alchemy nowadays. In order to introduce photographers born in the digital age to those processes and to show us “digitally afflicted” ex-analogies something old/new, the George Eastman House released the following video series.
1) Before Photography
2) The Daguerreotype
3) Talbot’s Processes
4) The Cyanotype
5) The Collodion
6) The Albumen Print
7) The Platinum Print
8) The Pigment Processes
9) The Woodburytype
10) The Gelatin Silver Process
11) Color Photography
12) Digital Photography
What kind of prints did you like best? In my mind daguerreotypes and woodburytypes are the most beautiful. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Exploratorius and commented:
Here are twelve newly released videos that explain the photographic processes of our past — wonderful stuff and well worth watching.
Fantastic find! Thank you very much for sharing.
You are welcome. 🙂
Thanks – my choice is cyanotype.
I’m not a huge fan of the color blue.
Platinum prints for me. Thanks for this.
Don’t mention it. Why platinum prints?
[…] of photography history: Those interested in the beginnings and milestones of photography will enjoy this video series by George Eastman House about the most important photographic […]