Photography LESSON 2: How Film Works

This is the second lesson in photography.  I am going to keep the lessons in order, running through all the processes involved in photography.  Hope you guys can learn something useful from it.

LESSON 2:

PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM & HOW IT WORKS

Centuries after the camera obscura was first seen, science had began to find it's way with certain chemicals that were found to be sensitive to light.  This was around the 1830's. 

The film we are familiar with today is made of a strip of plastic, coated with emulsion containing whats known as Silver Halides.  Silver Halide is made up of six different chemicals and, as a group, it creates a compound chemical that is light-sensitive.

Your standard 35mm film in canister

Layers of your black and white film

These silver halide salts are held in place by gelatin in each layer of the film.

Black and white film is usual more basic and made up with one layer of silver salts.

When you expose your film to the light, the salts are converted to metallic silver and a photochemical reaction takes place.  This is what creates you image onto negative.

Layers of a color film - each layer absorbs light as it is exposed when the shutter of your camera is opened.

 Thus, when you push down the trigger on your camera, the click you hear is the shutter opening for a fraction of a second to let light into your camera and to hit your film.

If you have read LESSON 1: The Camera Obscura section of my blog, this image below will be familiar to you.

This time, the wall the image is projected onto, is a small section of the film strip in your camera.

As your film is exposed to light, the chemicals soak up the light and create your negative image

I will talk more about film processing and how you get your final print in the next lesson section of this blog.  In the meantime, here is a bit of an insight on how film was created.

A Brief History of Film and Photography

The two big names in photographic history are British born, Henry Fox Talbot (who was seen as the pioneer of photography) and Frenchman Louis Daguerre.  Both were competing against each other in the 1830's in the race to see who could create an image with the abilities to be reproduced for the masses.

Henry Fox Talbot

 

Talbot used the large, shoe box style camera to create his images.  He discovered that paper could be coated with the silver salts and with several chemical reactions, the image could be 'fixed' and a permanent negative could be made.  This in turn, gave him the upper hand against Daguerre and his images which he fixed onto a silver-plated sheet of copper, much like a mirror- only producing a one of with each image.  These were often referred to as "The Mirror with a Memory" during the 19th century. 

Louis Daguerre

 There are many famous examples of images from both of these men.  Unfortunately for Daguerre, his methods were seen more as a brick wall for image making as he could not make reproductions of his images, unlike Talbot, who created the negative image with his paper and chemical methods.

Here are a few of those famous examples that shocked the world and were a matter of wonder and disbelief to most.  Magic seemed to happen before their eyes as these men created images that would take hours for an artist to draw, in a matter of minutes.

Talbot's - Trafalgar Square, 1843

Talbot's - The Ladder, 1844

Talbot's images were very different to Daguerre's unique images of the time.

Portrait by Daguerre

Portrait of a Boxer by Daguerre

These were known as Daguerreotypes, and are still used today by some artists.  Simply because of the individuality of the image created and the process it takes to produce them.

Perhaps some of the most famous, modern Daguerreotypes today are the ones created by artist Chuck Close.  In 2003 Close captured world famous fashion icon and model, Kate Moss using the Daguerreotype format.

Daguerreotype Kate Moss, By Chuck Close 2003

Daguerreotype Kate Moss, By Chuck Close 2003

Self Portrait from the artist - Chuck Close

There are still many types of film out there today, even though it seems at time we live in an age where digital has taken over.

120mm Film, known also as Medium Format - was a common size used during the 20th Century

Large Format film - an expensive hobby these days!

I'll talk more about film photography, societies and enthusiasts that still use the format in a later article.
Film photography is the true, original and best way to learn about photography and develop your skills.

Although more expensive to have as a hobby, even for a short time, it does pay off.

Hope you have enjoyed the lesson, next up....Film processing and how to do it!