Topic 1: The role of portraits in the early days of photography and portraits

1. What are main differences and similarities between portraits in the early days of photography and portraits today?

One of the main differences between portraits between the early days of photography and portraits today is what the portrait conveys. In the early days portraits showed signs of higher social status. Today we can take portraits of our families, which convey a different message: capturing a moment in time.

2. Who was the photographer and who was the subject of photographs in the past and today?

 In the past many photographers were people that took their profession very seriously. Because of the rarity of having a camera and the size of the cameras, photographers would have held shops. Well-established people would go into these stores and get their portrait taken. Compared to today, the camera is more accessible to people and are more portable. Today photographs are used to publish news and document history (minor or significant). From natural disasters to kids celebrating a birthday party they are all capturing a moment in time.

3. What was the impact on technology on the portraits in the past and today?

Technology has a huge part in portraits today. The digital camera, phone camera and the Internet are the three main technological develops that come to my mind. In the past it was very difficult to show portraits in a large scale. Now with the help of the digital age it is as simple as a point a click. In a matter of minutes a picture can be viewed hundreds of times. Also it allows for information to be relayed and felt more quickly. What I mean is the story of the Oil spill can be described in words but one large picture of a bird covered in oil says it all.