Say Cheese

Say Cheese

Selfies have become a central part of human lives and how we communicate with each other, and that's because they offer a means of sharing something that's completely unique and special with the world — ourselves.

 Although the rampant popularity of the technique is quite recent, the "selfie" itself is far from being a strictly modern phenomenon. The photographic self-portrait is surprisingly common in the very early days of photography exploration and invention, when it was often more convenient for the experimenting photographer to act as model as well. In fact, the picture considered by many to be the first photographic portrait ever taken was a "selfie". The image in question was taken in October or November 1839 by an amateur chemist and photography enthusiast from Philadelphia named Robert Cornelius (then 30 years old). Cornelius had set his camera up at the back of the family store in Philadelphia. He took the image by removing the lens cap and then running into frame where he sat for a minute before covering up the lens again. In so doing, he had created what is believed to be the first photographic self-portrait.  On the back he wrote "The first light Picture ever taken. 1839."

From the early black and whites of the grim-faced Edwardian woman in her patterned dress and the unsmiling visage of photographer Robert Cornelius to the modern day "selfie", Self-portraits have been around for centuries and for the pioneering posers of the 1800s, photographic self-portraits were revolutionary.

By 1838, human beings had made their first appearance on film - an event swiftly followed by the first "selfie", which was the work of photographer Robert Cornelius. But the era of the "selfie" didn't truly dawn until 1900, when Kodak's revolutionary Box Brownie Camera appeared on shelves. It was priced at just $1 each and the cardboard device took two inch photos on 117mm roll film and sold in the millions. The Box Brownie was cheap, easy to use, and even helped to introduce the world to the concept of the snapshot.

Following the self-portrait, Cornelius became a photographer specializing in portraits.

Photography in any form is an art, the art of capturing some of the most precious moments in life. From traditional black-and-white photographs to innovative digital prints, the art photography offers endless creative possibilities. Booking professional photographers such as Frantique to capture a wedding or perhaps a family portrait can make these moments even more special.

Source : articlesbase.com