Wesley
Hancock
M1J474RF3
Exercise
3b
ACHG200
Photography
and new media
Photography
Photography in the 1850s was not a common thing and took a while for the camera to capture the image. People didn’t smile in photos due to the amount of time spent waiting for the photo to be taken. Also due to the size of the photographic machine, it was not mobile and practical. Also the photos were taken and printed in black and white.Photography today is more practical as we can take the camera to extreme environments, such as underwater or to space made possible by for example the Gopro. Photography has become more mobile, as well as improved quality; the camera has also evolved to have pan shots which can fit a room in one picture. Most cameras now days are digital.
Portraits
Portraits in the 1850s mostly showed people looking classy with plain backgrounds and simplicity being the end result. Portraits in the 1850s were more common to have done whereas today people generally take selfies. Portraits taken nowadays include some sort of background image to strengthen the main element. As in the picture of the women, different angles are used than the common 1850s look with the picture of the man. Modern portraits also include positioning of props whereas the olden days had simple backgrounds with the focus being only on the person.
Documentaries
In the 1850s documentary’s mostly contained images of wars with very little typographic effort. No one had television sets so there was no film, documentaries were mostly hand written and recorded using pen and paper.Documentaries can be viewed on the web or televisions today. They contain both typographic and visual contrast. Documentaries today also have a broader span from animals to corrupt officials as the market is greater. More information can be introduced due to visual and audio stimulation whereas only imagination and reading material was used in the 1850s. Typographic input advertises documentaries as well as media outlets can be used and so forth vs word of mouth and street posters for advertising 1850s documentary's.
Art
Art in the 1850s focuses a lot on religious views and fears. Artists used fictional creatures to capture fear in their viewers. Art involved different styles which reflect on how the art came out, for example cubists would use cubes and realism would use a more photographic approach.Art today has a much broader variety but is mostly dominated by the digital world. Art can now be digitally painted or created using various programs, whereas long ago everything was hand made. I would say that very soon mostly all art will be done digitally over the traditional hand method.
Science
Science in the 1850s helped develop the telegraph which could only transmit messages. Similar to the can and string communication made by children, this technology is very basic with a single serving purpose.Science today has now developed cellphones with applications that have limitless capabilities. Including social media, cameras, Bluetooth and many more features. Science today also helps cure us when ill whereas the medicine in the 1850s was almost
non-existent. Science will never stop developing and has come a far way since the telegraph.
Sport
Sport in the 1850s was the beginning of woman moving into equality with men. Football was one of the major sports to be played in Europe. This photo shows woman finally playing football. Also sport could not have been recorded or replayed so viewing was done at live events.Sport today can be viewed from the comfort of our homes as well as different sports are available for viewing. The variety and availability has increased drastically to the point where we can freeze a live game and carry on watching where we left off. Also the amount earned has increased for sportsmen due to fans and branding opportunities, sport now helps the economy. For example the tourist industry gains attractions from sport whereas in the 1850s just travelling to a sports game was a mission.
Paparazzi
In the 1850s the paparazzi was mostly a single person taking photographs with traditional backgrounds, whereas today many individuals fight and crowd around each other to photograph one person. The paparazzi along with the media have shaped our ideas of celebrities which shape our perceptions of who we are as individuals. People have become more materialistic in modern times because they want to fit into the norms created and publicized by the paparazzi. I would definitely say the industry has increased dramatically but the main focus being on celebrities and American culture.
Fashion
Fashion in the 1850s saw a more formal side with woman sticking mainly to dresses and fancy hats. Their waists were expected to be thin and cleavage closed up. The men were presented in formal suits often with top hats and long neck watches. The fashion didn’t have much of a variety other than the basic suit and dress look we see here.Fashion today has a much broader range where anyone can wear anything and will be socially accepted. Fashion has even evolved to include accessories with other non-essential items for the consumers to spend on. Fashion has been a major part of who we are. Different ages had different styles, today there isn’t just one set style, it literally can be anything that you wear.
Chromolithography
Chromolithography in the 1850s was created in order to print multiple colours on one document using chemicals to obtain the colour differences. This was a timely process.
Today we use printers to print high quality images within seconds. Today our results are more accurate due to no human error with chemicals. Printing has helped mass produce and distributes knowledge and advertising thanks to its efficiency.
Offset Printing
Offset printing was developed to mass produce print. It involved a metal rolled sheet to transfer print to rubber and then paper. The machines were bulky and way slower than anything today. Offset printing help boost the information age as prints could be done in mass.Today we have Flexography which broadens the offset printing method to being able to print on various materials such as metal as well as paper and plastic. The whole purpose is to cheapen the cost of mass producing printed material.
