I pride myself in knowing a little more about this craft than the average photographer. I’m not talking about exposure settings and composition, but about photography history and the incredible impact it has had on our evolution throughout the 19th and 20th century.
Yet some thoughts and ideas that are far more accessible than studying about photography for years have left me puzzled and somewhat dazed. Simply put, I never thought that people, who lived before photography was invented, went on their entire lives without knowing what they looked like as children. This has been a given for humanity for so long now that even imagining it feels almost impossible.
Black and white photography serves mostly artistic purposes today, but there was a time when it was the only medium available. Before color was introduced, things like flowers and rainbows looked very differently in pictures.
Speaking of present day, I wonder how many people have considered the fact that their Instagram account is a reversed timeline of their lives in pictures. Kind of puts a different perspective on things, doesn’t it?
(Success Tip:The easiest way to learn photography when you have little time to spare)
Photos of food are hugely popular on Instagram and Facebook, but I guess few people have thought of them as before/after pictures of their…poop. It’s gross but it’s still the truth.
For more troubling thoughts about photography that find amazing, I recommend watching this video posted by Matthew Rycroft. Talk about changing perspective!
Learn more about the fascinating history of photography from these recommended books:
- Photography: The Definitive Visual History
- Camera: A History of Photography from Daguerreotype to Digital
- The Photography Book