Today, taking a photo is quicker than ever before - just one click on your smartphone is enough to capture the moment. But the history of photography is the result of centuries of experimentation and innovation. In the last blog article we looked at the beginnings of photography. Now we turn our attention to the first photographic processes, which were milestones that laid the foundation for photography as we know it today.
Part 2: The early processes of photography
©stefanocarocci, Man taking photo with old camera, adobestock
Daguerreotypie: The beginning of modern photography
The origin of photography
The Daguerreotype, introduced by Louis Daguerre in 1839, marked a significant milestone in the history of photography and paved the way for its commercial use for the first time.
©acromegame, Louis Daguerre, French artist and photographer,XIX century, adobestock
How did the Daguerreotypie work?
The Daguerreotype technique was based on the use of a silver-plated copper plate that was made light-sensitive by treatment with iodine vapor. After exposure in a custom-made camera, the image was developed with mercury vapor and then fixed. The result was detailed and sharp images. Each image was unique as the process did not allow reproduction.
Importance of photography
The Daguerreotype was a breakthrough because it broadened access to photography beyond scientific for the first time. Even though the process was replaced by newer techniques after a few years due to its limitations - such as the lack of reproducibility - it remains firmly anchored in history as a pioneer of modern photography.
The Kalotypie
The Kalotypie, also known as Talbotypie, is one of the most important inventions in the early history of photography. It built on the principles of salt paper photography and introduced a key advance over daguerreotype: the reproducibility of images. The process was developed by William Henry Fox Talbot, who patented it in 1841.
©Juulijs, William Henry Fox Talbot, by John Moffat, 1864 adobestock
The emergence of Kalotypie
Salt paper photography was the basis for Talbot's process. He experimented with light-sensitive paper coatings as early as the 1830s. For the calotype, he used paper coated with silver chloride, which produced a negative image after exposure. This was chemically developed and fixed, making it permanently light-resistant. The negative could then be transferred to additional light-sensitive paper via contact copy to produce positive images.
Difficulties and further developments
Trotz ihrer Innovationen war die Kalotypie nicht frei von Problemen. Die Papierstruktur des Negativs führte häufig zu Unschärfen und Detailverlusten. Auch die chemischen Prozesse waren zeitintensiv und erforderten präzise Arbeit.
Importance of photography
The Kalotypie was the first method by which images became reproducible - a breakthrough that had a lasting impact on photography. Although it was later replaced by more technically advanced processes, its influence on photographic practice and history remains undisputed.
William Henry Fox Talbot and the first flash photography
William Henry Fox Talbot, who invented the calotype described above, presented an experiment at the Royal Institute in London in the summer of 1851 that opened up new possibilities in photography: the first flash photograph.
The experiment
Talbot attached a sheet of newspaper to a turntable that moved during the recording. For the exposure, he used an electrical spark discharge that produced an extremely short but intense flash of light that briefly illuminated the scene. During this moment, a photograph was taken with a surprising result: despite the movement of the turntable, the newspaper page was shown in great detail.
Importance of photography
This experiment demonstrated the potential of a precisely controlled light source. It showed that even fast movements can be “frozen” photographically and that clear shots are possible even in difficult lighting conditions. Talbot's technique was not only an impressive technical advance, but it laid the foundation for the later development of flash photography.
The Wet Collodion Process
The Wet Collodion Process was developed by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851 and represented a milestone in the history of photography. Compared to techniques such as the daguerreotype or the calotype, the process offered significantly better image quality. For the first time, it was possible to produce glass negatives that were more stable and precise as image carriers than paper.
The procedure
The process was technically demanding: a glass plate was first coated with a light-sensitive collodion emulsion. This plate had to be exposed while wet and developed immediately afterwards. The resulting negative allowed any number of prints to be made on paper. Because the glass plates had to remain moist throughout the entire process, photographers had to rely on mobile darkrooms.
Importance of photography
The Wet Collodion Process largely replaced daguerreotype and calotype in the 1860s and established itself as the standard in photography. Thanks to its outstanding image quality, it remained the preferred technique until the 1880s. In the next part you will find out which process subsequently shaped photography.
Further information:
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Quellen:
Daguerreotypie: Erfindung der Fotografie - die Daguerreotypie: Endlich den Augenblick festhalten | Kulturgeschichte | Geschichte | Verstehen | ARD alpha
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