Q1:
We have learned about photography techniques and different inventors that have contributed to the art form that is photography. I was asked to choose one technique and inventor that I was to do my own research on and make a report in 500-1000 words explaining how I think the technique has contributed to what we are able to do today through photography. I chose George Eastman and the Kodak camera.
George Eastman and the Kodak camera
“You press the button, we do the rest”
George Eastman invented the Kodak camera and the first ever roll film in 1881. When Eastman was 23, a colleague suggested that he take a camera on an upcoming vacation. The weight, awkwardness, and cost of the equipment required to take and develop photographs led Eastman to seek improvements. He started experimenting with gelatin emulsions, and by 1880, he had invented and patented a dry-plate coating machine.
The original Kodak was a simple camera that could easily be carried, with 100-exposure roll of film. The consumers sent the entire camera back to the manufacturer for developing, printing and reloading when the film was used up. The company’s slogan was “You press the button, we do the rest”.
This invention changed photography forever. It made photography available to everyone, which made it possible for people to create a timeline of their lives through images and promoted amateur photography on a large scale. Taking pictures was no longer just a rich person’s hobby.
After the original Kodak Camera came a foldable camera, then the launch of the $1 camera, The Brownie, which was a huge success. With the Brownie the word ‘snapshot’ was born. Later came Kodachrome, the world’s first color film. By 1963, the Instamatic camera was introduced, and it became popular as a point-and-shoot model that was easy to load.
Eastman built his business on four basic principles:
– a focus on the customer
– mass production at low cost
– worldwide distribution
– extensive advertising
‘By 1898, just ten years after the first Kodak was introduced, one photography journal estimated that over 1.5 million roll-film cameras had reached the hands of amateur shutterbugs.’
From metmuseum
In 1966, Kodak’s camera and film technology were used to capture the first-ever photo of the planet Earth taken from space.
In 1976, Kodak released the Kodamatic, an instant picture camera, as a rival to Polaroid.
The George Eastman Kodak company was essentially a monopoly for many years. Kodak was for many synonymous with photography. Capturing a ‘Kodak moment’, a moment worth photographing, was used in advertising and people all over the world was using this description. With the downfall of Kodak, the ‘Kodak moment’ got a whole new meaning – a description of a situation in which a business fails to foresee changes within its industry.
The end of Kodaks great success is a tragic one. When the digital revolution started in the middle of the 90s, the competition rose to the occasion with digital cameras. The first digital camera was invented by Kodak, but as the digital cameras grew in popularity, the rising competitors were more adaptable and forward-thinking. According to this article this might have been because Kodak had very strong feelings for the film roll. In 2012, after almost operating on a high note for over 130 years, Kodak filed for bankruptcy. That being said Kodak is unquestionably one of the most important and iconic names in the history of photography.
Sources:
‘C IS FOR… CELLULOID: THE GOODWIN VS. KODAK PATENT BATTLE OVER FLEXIBLE FILM’
https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/a-z-photography-collection-c-is-for-celluloid/
‘Creating loyal employees isn’t rocket science. Just ask George Eastman’
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/05/how-kodak-created-loyal-employees-commentary.html
‘George Eastman’
https://www.biography.com/inventor/george-eastman
‘George Eastman’
https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Eastman
‘George Eastman’
https://www.kodak.com/en/company/page/george-eastman-history
Kodak-sjefenes gedigne tabbe
https://www.aftenposten.no/okonomi/i/dO5Ao/kodak-sjefenes-gedigne-tabbe
Kodak and the rise of amateur photography
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kodk/hd_kodk.htm
Q2:
1. Name all of the functions/buttons on the front of your camera
2. Name all of the functions/buttons on the back of your camera
3. Explain how you would set the correct ISO
The ISO setting affects how sensitive the sensor on your camera is to the light. Let’s say you have a range from 100 ISO – 1600 ISO. The higher the ISO setting, the more digital noise you will get in your image. I would therefore try to keep the ISO setting as low as possible. There are however some situations that demand a higher ISO – when shooting with limited lighting and you could not change settings like a larger aperture size or a slower shutter speed. To change the ISO on my camera I can press the ISO button and turn the main dial.
4. Explain how you would change the aperture
To set the correct aperture I would think about what types of shots I was interested in taking. Am I shooting close-ups or from far away, portraits or landscapes? For a portrait I might set a high aperture of f/2.8 to get a nice blurry background, where as landscape-photography requires more features to be sharp, so I might want to set a low aperture of f/16. The aperture also affects the exposure of your images; a larger aperture will pass a lot of light, while a small aperture does the opposite, making the photo darker. To change the aperture on my camera I would use the Av mode and turn the main dial.
5. Explain how you would set the shutter speed
Changing the shutter speed can change your image drastically. By using a long shutter speed you can create a feeling of motion in an image, and with a fast shutter speed you can freeze a movement. To set the correct shutter speed I would consider how much movement I want in an image and how much light there is. I would use the Tv mode on my camera to play with the shutter speed function, giving me some control over the ISO and aperture-settings while doing so.
STINE RØED 
Leave a Reply