Pre-Digital Photographic Technology

Photo by Eric Kim 

A. Film strips that capture pictures in grayscale are called black-and-white film rolls. The outermost layer of tiny crystals is light-sensitive. The crystals inside the film become modified when light hits it during photo capture. The film has to be processed in a darkroom using chemicals after the picture has been captured. The film's exposed parts become visible images due to this method of imaging. It is then simple to print the negatives on paper to show different black-and-white tones and contrasts. It makes complete sense that this would be one of the first dominant ways to capture photography and is still somewhat used today. As Professor Nordell says in this video, "Photography is derived from two Greek words meaning light foes." This makes sense since this type of photography relies heavily on light to properly show what is being captured. 

B. Roll film, in black and white, transformed photojournalism through enhanced accessibility and speed, allowing photojournalists to utilize portable cameras to quickly capture unexpected events. The emphasis on contrast and composition in this type of photography enabled an intense story that generated intense feelings while drawing attention to the subject matter in question. Black and white documentary photography strengthened photojournalists' responsibility as witnesses to history by remaining consistent with journalism's dedication to truth as talked about in the CBS news story about the Civil War. The simplicity of access in the printing process and excellent conservation characteristics of black and white prints ensured that their compelling images would remain relevant and continue influencing opinions and discussion for an extended period. In the end, black and white roll film developed as an essential element in the growth of photojournalism, providing an enduring legacy of visual photography. 

Photo by Kaylie 9/15/2024

C. The picture taken by me above was from the inside of one of the mansions in Newport, RI. My friend, Annabella, is featured in the picture as she is looking over the balcony at the chandelier and the people walking on the lower floor. It was stunning to stand on the balcony and take in all of the sights. I decided to capture a picture on my phone. I had gone to visit a friend who goes to school in Newport and decided to sightsee a bit over the weekend. The photo was taken on Sunday, September 15, 2024. Despite it being a Sunday and in the fall, the tours were still somewhat busy which caught me off guard. Since I love history, traveling, and sightseeing I wanted to capture this picture because it felt artsy. I edited the pictures to become black and white because I felt it looked elegant and elevated the picture.

D.  There are a lot of details to compare when looking at the way I took this picture to the pre-digital photographic technology I had studied.  While taking this photo above, I took out my phone, snapped the picture, and then afterward I decided I would like the picture better in black and white. I went into my editing and changed the filter so that it changed all the colors to the greyscale. This is completely different from the black and white film roll because those pictures are captured and printed onto the paper using chemicals that turn the picture into different shades, from white to black. There is no option to turn the picture back to color or a colored picture back to black and white like you do with today's technology. While at the time of invention, film roll was extremely high tech, as said by Professor Nordell in his video, it could be mass-produced and incredibly easy to use, in today's society that seems like a challenging process.