PoetryPix
depictions by the rule of thirds; descriptions mostly freestyle words
magic moments
magic refers to an object that does something special
magical gives something an air of enchantment and mystery.
Catherine’s word for today made me think again, on the magic that is photography. When I googled it, I found articles talking about the magic of capturing a moment in time forever, or the impression an image creates on the viewers. Perhaps it is a sign of the digital age that with the ease of point and shoot we are losing touch with the magic of the camera in terms of what it does, as well as with the magical way our photo impressions are created. And so for my own benefit, I’m collating the information here.
Camera means ‘dark room’ and the camera obscura made it possible for renaissance artists to trace a projected image thus:
” A brightly lit scene or object was placed opposite a hole cut into the side of a darkened container. Rays of light reflected from it, passed through the hole, converging into an upside-down image, “projected” onto the surface inside the container. ”
When in 1800 one such image was projected onto silver nitrate paper by Wedgwood, the first photo came to life…but rapidly faded *
After several tried & tested chemical methodologies for fixing the photo, Talbot, in 1841, developed the light sensitive paper negative, exposed for only a minute or two, to produce a “latent” image which could then be chemically “developed out” and made visible.
This the “calotype” (Greek kalos = beautiful & tupos = impression) was the prototype for the negative-positive printing process of analogue photographic reproduction right up until the digital revolution.*
I press the button and think nothing of it but the camera itself is a piece of mechanical magic.
Light reflected off the subject enters the camera through the lens aperture. It then reaches a mirror temporarily tilted at 45 degrees which reflects the light at 90 degrees for previewing the shot.
Once the shutter release button is pressed the mirror moves out of line and the shutter covering the film or the camera sensor opens up allowing light to form the photographic impression. **
Photography” means “drawing with light” (phōtós/light & graphê/drawing or write). The subject is almost the afterthought.
Too often I forget this and wonder why my compositions are flat – here the tide has drawn lines in the mud of the river Deben and the mud acts like a mirrored surface
” The foul society rushed like a single Narcissus to contemplate its trivial image on the metal [plate]” remarked Baudelaire and I can only reiterate these sentiments when ‘selfie’ narcissism is fast becoming a predominant focus of cameras. Surely the magic lies elsewhere!
Resources
* the birth of photography
** How does the camera work
Joining Catherine’s 2020/366 challenge with her word Magic ~ where she invites us to write, photograph or turn it into art
Seeing you seeing me
As photographer, I’m inevitably on the look out for suitable subjects for the camera. First and foremost though I should be watching out for light levels; where the source is, what shadows there are. Some days though flat light is all that’s available but there was at least a glint in this squirrel’s eye, watching me looking at it and keeping closed fists on a couple of holm oak acorns.
Joining Catherine’s 2020/365 challenge with her word Watch ~ where she invites us to write, photograph or turn it into art
2020 Refresh
Some pictures tell a thousand words and this one speaks clearly to me of one word – Refresh! After the glut and the inebriations of 2019, it feels good to wake to a new day, a new year and this time round, a new decade. The joggers are already out in force, gym bunnies are hopping mad with those few extra notches on the scales and many of us are contemplating turning over a new leaf in the journal of our lives.
I am not yet resolved to make any particular changes, since 2019 brought quite a few major ones. But looking into the tea leaves 2020 is going to be a year of travel…
days
hours minutes seconds
until
New Zealand here I come
naturally I’m taking camera & iPad with me to keep a travel blog of the North & South Island
Follow me:
Along the Long White Cloud
And so today I’m joining Catherine’s’ 365/2020 word challenge with Refresh where she invites us to write, photograph or turn it into art
NEW TRAVEL BLOG for 2020
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