Part 1: The Role of Potraits in the Early Days of Photography & Portraits Today

The main differences and similarities between portraits in the early days of photography and portraits today are the quality and clarity of the photographs. As today’s technology is quickly advancing, photographs are more commonly filled with colour, as opposed to photographs in the early days where they were often seen as black and white or even sepia. As for clarity, early days of photography demonstrates numerous photographs with minimum focus, making it difficult to grasp any detail, also because old photographs can be identified because of the graininess.

In the past, photography was seen as an expensive hobby to pursue. Past photographers were limited because of the cost to become a photographer. However, photographers today often spend thousands of dollars to purchase products that ensure high quality photographs. Photographers in the past often took photos that were particularly of people more than landscapes or objects, as opposed to today’s photography.

The impact on technology on portraits in the past was much harder to develop compared to today. Photos were often developed in black rooms and developed one at a time. But today, we have high technology that can do everything for us, such as, enlargement of photos, red-eye reduction, numerous companies and etc. Past developing methods was extremely difficult. Photographers often used a back background to produce positives from negatives, also known as black rooms. But with the advancement of technology, it helps make lives more simple, although many photographers may find previous methods time-consuming, yet entertaining at the same time to pursue in their hobby. As the advancement of technology is continuously advancing, new products will always be expensive compared to the old, as it is a never-ending cycle.