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The Art of Photograohy
The Art of Photography
I am an artist, a photographer, in a large family of artists. My sister, two of my aunts and my grandfather are oil
painters. My mother and one of my brothers are charcoal/graphite artists. I do not draw. I can’t draw even stick figures
well. Does this make me less of an artist? I don’t believe it does. I am a very good photographer, skilled retouch artist
and an excellent black and white darkroom technician. There is much debate among my grandfather and I about
whether photography is an art. “It’s just a photo” is often his indifferent comment when discussing the artistic merits of
a photographic image. Many artists in mediums other than photography feel this same way. Since photography’s
invention and people began using it for artistic purposes others have asked is it really art when they are using a
machine to produce an image. In 1929, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, an abstract painter, wrote “The creative utilization of new
perceptions and principles will eliminate the idea that photography is not an “art” (Newhall, 1980, p. 239).”
A Brief History of Photography and the Camera
The Chinese philosopher Mo Ti, in the early 5th century B.C.E., realized that reflected light, from a lighted object,
passing through a small hole into a darkened are produced an inverted image of the same object (Hirsch, 2000, p. 3).
This would become the pinhole camera or camera obscura. A camera in its most simple form. Pinhole cameras are
still used today. Mostly they’re used for fine arts or crafts. The first camera obscura was a dark room large enough for
the artist to enter. Leonardo da Vinci wrote the first surviving description of this version (Hirsch, 2000, p. 4). This would
be scaled down to a large box and a lens would be added to the small hole. A mirror was added to the body to right the
inverted image. The camera-based perspective and proportions would first be used by the artist, Albrecht Durer, in his
drawings (Hirsch, 2000, p. 4). The camera obscura allowed artists to trace the images. It also opened up drawing and
painting to those with lesser natural talents. Although, like Durer, other great masters of painting and drawing were
using the camera obscura to improve their images. Even though Vermeer did not need it to produce his images, the
17th century Dutch painter, Jan Vermeer, often used a camera obscura to view images he would later paint. Vermeer
was a highly skilled painter and created many masterpieces before obtaining a camera obscura and many master
pieces afterwards. History records the invention of photography as 1839 with the fathers of photography being Joseph
Nicephore Niepce, Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot because of their method to fix
images on glass plates known as Daguerreotypes. The evolution of photography would build and improve upon their
camera, print and fixing process. Cameras have gone through a process of increasing technical development. A
number of camera types branched off from Daguerre, Niepce and Talbot’s camera. Of these types, the most
commonly used and still in use by professional photographers are studio cameras, single-lens reflex cameras,
panoramic cameras and folding cameras. The commonly used 35mm cameras are a branch off the single-lens reflex
(SLR) cameras. Although, with the invention of digital cameras, all these cameras requiring film are becoming a
novelty. Today’s digital cameras are based on the SLR cameras of yesterday. Lenses have been improved upon,
shutters added, motors added for auto-film advancing and rewinding, auto-light metering for auto-shutter and aperture
settings and built in flashes are just a few of the improvements made the camera since 1839.
The first color photograph was taken around 1850 by Edmond Bequerel, Niepce de St. Victor and Levi L. Hill. Each
man’s image faded shortly afterwards due to unreliable fixing (Horenstein, 1995, p. 3). Many people would experiment
and improve upon color photography over the years. In 1907, Autochrome would be introduced becoming the first
successful color process (Horenstein, 1995, p. 9). Over the next 30 years leaps and bounds were made in color
photography. The range in film ISO was increased, color saturation was improved and other advances would make
processing color film and prints considerably easier. “Most modern films and papers are basedon processes from the
1930’s, but the materials have improved enormously (Horenstein, 1995, p. 18).”
Lighting
Photography is all about light. Photography derives from the Greek and literally means “light writing”.
Photographers study the light and how they’ll use it to create their image. The quality and quantity of light can
dramatically change an image. There are two types of light, natural light and artificial light. My definition of natural light
is any light that is already lighting a subject without the photographer introducing the light. Artificial lighting is light
introduced for the purpose of lighting the subject. Lighting can have a warm or cool feel to it. There’s also a slight
color associated with warm and cool light. Warm light is a brown/yellow color and cool light has a blue hue to it. An
example of warm light would be early morning or later afternoon sunshine. An example of cool light would be high-
noon on a cloudless day or light from florescent bulbs. Depending on the combination of these types used, they can
alter or create a mood to the image. Photographers may do “bracketing” shots when first learning to understand
lighting and how it records on film or when using natural light. Bracketing is great for seeing how a shift in shutter
speed or aperture can change the image or compensate for sudden light changes.
The shadows created by the light are equally as important. It’s the combination of light and shadows that gives an
image depth. There are other ways to give an image depth such as a strategically placed path or the placing of larger
objects in the foreground and smaller objects in the background. These help but it is still the light and shadows that
helps to give the image three-dimensional depth. It’s the use of light that keeps an image from looking flat and dull.
Whether using natural light or artificial light the object is to highlight the subject of the image. Learning to see how light
works and recording it can be intimidating but once one has a good understanding of it the results as seen in one’s
images can so gratifying, to see the life and pop they have. Metering light is an essential step in the image making
process. Many photographers use light meters. On occasion a gray card will be used for light metering. Both are used
to measure reflected light. An average subject will reflect an average amount of light (Hicks & Schultz, 1998, p. 68).
For color photography the highlights are of greater importance and in-camera and hand-held meters are ideal for this.
For black and white photography the shadows are equally as important as the highlights. To balance for this a
combination of either a hand-held meter or in-camera meter is used with a gray card. Using this combination in black
and white allows a photographer to meter for the average reflection so as to obtain maximum blacks and whites and
the full ranges of gray as well. To best achieve this, the gray card is placed on or held by the subject of the image
facing towards the camera. Then the photographer moves in with the camera until the view is full of the gray card. At
this point the light is metered to set thee aperture and shutter speed. The metering is done by adjusting the aperture
and shutter speed until the meter in the camera moves to the center position. These settings will only hold when the
photographer moves back into position if the camera is set to manual. This method of metering is called spot metering
(Hicks & Schultz, 1998, p. 74). There are a number of methods for metering light. Depending on the lighting situation
and the preference of the photographer will determine the method used.
Darkroom
Traditional darkroom work is a rare skill among photographers these days. Fewer and fewer photographers are
processing their own film and prints with the convenience of processing labs with processing machines. The
chemicals used to process films and prints are temperature sensitive, especially chemicals for processing color. A
shift in chemical temperature up or down can over develop or under develop film or cause color shifts in color prints.
Black and white chemicals are easier to work with in general and are less hazardous in that they do not require
special recycling. Their effectiveness neutralizes with time and use, missing the chemicals from each step of the
processing together and adding large quantities of water.
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loaded in the enlarger an aperture is chosen along with a time for exposure. This is the similarity that enlargers have
with cameras. A group of filters in varying shades of red are used in black and white printmaking. These filters are
used to give the print more or less contrast unless the 2.5 filter is used and it allows the contrast of the negative to be
printed as it was shot. A test strip of exposures is made to find the correct exposure for the print. Once the print is
exposed to the correct exposure, it is then put through three chemicals, developer, stop bath and fixer. First the print
goes into the developer for a minute or two. The developer does exactly that, develops the image. The print then goes
into the stop bath which stops the developing process. The print stays in the stop bath for about thirty seconds. The
print is then put in the fixer. The print stays in the fixer between three and twelve minutes. This varies depending on
the paper the image is printed on. Resin-coated (RC) papers, which are what most one hour labs use, require less
time in the fixer. Fiber-base papers, cloth and other specialty papers require more time in the fixer. If the print isn’t
fixed long enough then the image is unstable and blackens with time. Finally the print is washed. A wash solution can
be used but water works just as well. Again, how long the print is washed depends on the paper. RC papers only
need to be washed for about fifteen minutes. Fiber-base and specialty papers need to wash for an hour. Washing
cleans the print of chemical residues from the developing and fixing chemicals. Prints will have a brownish
discoloration over time if they’re not washed thoroughly. The prints are then set out to dry and pressed flat once
they’re dry.
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Randall Webb and Martin Reed’s Alternative Photographic Processes: A Working Guide for Image Makers has a
number of processes with the recipes and processing instructions. Webb and Reed’s processes are much more
technical and delicate processes but producing a varying range of creative effects. Some simpler and equally creative
processes are print bleaching and toning, Polaroid transfers and printing on artist papers, wood and glass.
Retouching, hand-tinting and restoration
Hand retouching is used to fix anything from minor blemishes to removing whole objects. Prints often need a bit of
minor retouching done to correct dust or a hair on the negative during the print exposure. The presence of dust, hair or
scratches on negatives will cause an absence of color or shades of gray or black on prints depending on whether it’s
color or black and white. Retouching this is done through blending dye colors to match the area around it when
working with color prints. On black and white prints it’s about thinning out the black dye with water to the shade that
matches the area on the print. These dyes, in color and black and white, are applied with very fine tipped paint
brushes. For bigger retouching projects like acne, wrinkles or stretch marks a combination of dyes and colored
pencils are used. A special oil paint can and is used on all types of retouching jobs, large and small. Some retouching
jobs can be extensive enough that airbrushing is used. These jobs are usually adding a large area such as a different
background or removing something unwanted from the image.
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Hand tinting has been used in photography since before color photography was invented. Photography was
eliminating the need for miniature painters early in the history of photography. Many studios began hiring these
painters to hand-color their photos (Horenstein, 1995, p. 3). The results were light colors, almost a pastel hue
compared to the color saturation photographers can achieve now with color photography. This light color hue is the
desired effect with hand tinting today. Some photographers still employ painters to hand-tint their photos. Hand-tinting
allows color to be added just in certain areas or to certain objects within the whole image. A mixture of materials is
often used to tint photos, light oils, heavy oils, pencils and pastels (Miller, 1986, p. 137)
Most restoration work is done on black and white prints and for that reason I’ll only discuss that area of
restoration work. If a negative is not available to work with, which is often the case, a work negative is made of the
print. This is basically done by photographing the print. From this a work print can be made. All the restoration work is
done on the work print. Dyes are used the most to restore images. Depending on the extent of the work to be done
some pencil work or even airbrushing may be necessary. The same techniques used for retouching are used for
restoration.
Conclusion
Peter Henry Emerson once wrote, “…art is indefinable, although it is possible to what is not art (Newhall, 1980,
p. 159).” As Individuals we have difficulties defining what it is about an image, sculpture or any other creative work that
makes it art but one can much more easily articulate why something is not art. This is not a bad thing. We rely too
often on another’s opinion as to what is art. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This can be applied to art as well.
What is considered art to one person may not be to another. Because of the great variety of artists that have, are and
will produce art there will be something for everyone. One should never let the opinions of others deter them from
creating, whether it’s a traditional art or an art that tends to be over looked. Webster’s Dictionary (2006) defines art as
skill acquired by experience or study, an occupation requiring skill or knowledge, and the use of skill and imagination in
the production of things of beauty (p.58). By this definition it allows one to look at a great many things as art, a
photograph, a novel, a piece of furniture or a car.
As I flipped through a large stack of books looking for something profound to close this paper about art and why
people created it I came across the same theme, because they love what they do. What better reason to do anything,
for the love of it.
What’s your art?
References
Hicks, R., & Schultz, F. (1998). Learning to Light: Easy and Affordable Techniques for the Photographer. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications. Hirsch, R. (2000). Seizing the Light: A History of Photography. Boston: McGraw
Hill. Horenstein, H. (1995). Color Photography: A Working Manual. Boston; New York; Toronto; London: Little, Brown and Company.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus. (2006). Springfield: Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Miller, J. W. (1986). Retouching Your Photographs. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications.
Newhall, B. (Ed.). (1980). Photography: Essays & Images Illustrated Readings in the History of Photography. Boston: The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
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