Photography Trivia, History, etc.

Steve wants to stir up some converstaion in the forum. Anyone know some interesting trivia or history about cameras, photography, photographers, etc. that they'd like to share? Old or modern, it doesn't matter. Here's my first installment.

Daguerrotype
The first popular type of photograhy was daguerrotype, duh GHER uh type. This term is used for both the process itself and the photographs produced by the process. Daguerrotype is named for its creator, the French inventor, Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre.

Daguerre perfected the process in 1837 and published the process in 1839. During the 1840's and 1850's Daguerrotype portraits became tremendously popular, especially in the United States.

The process consisted of

exposing copper plates to iodine, the fumes forming light-sensitive silver iodide. The plate would have to be used within an hour.

exposing to light - between 10 and 20 minutes, depending upon available light.

developing the plate over mercury heated to 75 degrees Centigrade. This caused the mercury to amalgamate with the silver.

fixing the image in a warm solution of common salt (later sodium sulphite was used.)

rinsing the plate in hot distilled water.

Daguerrotype finally lost favor to other processes because

the pictures could not be reproduced, so each one was different -- no way to copy or mass produce.

The chemicals used in the process were extremely toxic.

The surface was not durable. Dagurreotypes were often kept between sheets of glass to protect delicate surface.

Okay, that one was historical. Here's one that's a piece of trivia.

Origin of the Word Camera
The word camera comes from the Latin words camera obscura, which translates to dark chamber

More trivia.

The word photograph comes from Greek words that mean "to write or draw with light".

So the word photography literally means "the process of writing or drawing with light".

And I thought your plate was already FULL.

Still nothing huh? Do I hear crickets chirping? Okay, more trivia. We know what the term photography means. How about who came up with the term photography?

It was Sir John Frederick William Herschel (1792 - 1871). He used the term in a paper presented to the Royal Society on March 14, 1839. He also coined the terms "negative" and positive" in this context, and also the "snap-shot".

OK, so who invented the SLR or the medium format camera? When did color film hit the market? When did slide film hit the market? Why can I take a good picture with the "SMART" camera I have?

Terry,
You are a great guy, a bright guy, but you are missing the main point. The members that are interested in knife photography are either hiding or they don't care.
Maybe Terrill and I are to blame 'cuz we do not stimulate them. I always thought that saving and making MONEY was a priorty item.A maker can accomplish more by honing his making skills while Terrrill and I or Jim Weyer or P7 can take the pics. I imagine it's tough to be good at everything!!!
I sometimes wonder if we are here to help the CKD people or humor them. I hope it's because they realize that they might learn something by picking our brains.
There have been a few hot topics, but very few.
Don't take this personally guys, but we'll help if you participate. You might be the losers, I know I will only feel bad if I haven't tried hard enough. I don't get paid to do this I get satisfaction if I can HELP YOU!!!
TERRY YOU STEAMED ME UP!!!!!!!! THANK YOU

[Mia238]

Wow, I completely agree that this forum is full of fresh ideas. We are glad to read about your successful business.

[JosephGalvan]

Originally Posted by stevekorn

Terry,
You are a great guy, a bright guy, but you are missing the main point. The members that are interested in knife photography are either hiding or they don't care.
Maybe Terrill and I are to blame 'cuz we do not stimulate them. I always thought that saving and making MONEY was a priorty item.A D bal max supplement maker can accomplish more by honing his making skills while Terrrill and I or Jim Weyer or P7 can take the pics. I imagine it's tough to be good at everything!!!
I sometimes wonder if we are here to help the CKD people or humor them. I hope it's because they realize that they might learn something by picking our brains.
There have been a few hot topics, but very few.
Don't take this personally guys, but we'll help if you participate. You might be the losers, I know I will only feel bad if I haven't tried hard enough. I don't get paid to do this I get satisfaction if I can HELP YOU!!!
TERRY YOU STEAMED ME UP!!!!!!!! THANK YOU

Thank you so much for the inspiration and the promise to help if we participate. Just joined and trying to come up with ideas. Hope to learn a lot here.