History and Development of Photography in Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE
PREAMBLE OF THE STUDY
This book history and development of photography in Nigerian is a good reference book that provides lucid explanation to the photo journalists, photographers who can tell story with their cameras.
Obviously , the book also fulfils the requirement for diploma students in mass communication .
Moreover, the book has been structured to make photography more understanding and essay for effective and exciting reading ,
The book gives the details about history and development of photography in Nigerian , it also provides more useful information to student of mass communication , especially photo journalist and photograph’s
The book is written in lucid and simple language that afford students , photographers and reading essay understanding and comprehension of the subject matter.
This book has been arranged into chapters.
The book will benefit student reading mass communication .
CHAPTER TWO
EMERGENCE OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN NIGERIA
The emergence of photography in Nigeria can be traced bac;3 to the 19lil century. The-‘Elliot l£lisofon photographic Archives maintains a rich visual history of Nigeria through it collection of late 19lh to early 20 century album, post cards glass plate negative, archival photographs and color slides. The year 1914-2014 marks the 100 anniversary of Nigeria’s existence.as an amalgamated country. (Michael 2013)
Photography in Nigeria with a special focus on African photographers. Through the archival record, the history of African photography by African photographer is now being discovered by researchers and scholars of African art, history, and photography.
While photography was introduced in Africa shortly after its invention in 1839, it was limited to entrepreneurs or expatriates who could afford large format cameras and equipments and had access to chemicals for the wet plate process. When dry glass plate and later roll film became available in the late 19th to early 20th century, many West Africans took up the profession of photography. Some were highly successful and profited from this new venture. Solomon Osagie Alonge was one of these early photographers, his images have not circulated outside Nigeria and are until now unknown to most western audiences historic postcard.
Postcards became an important commercial enterprise for local photographic studio and businesses in the late 191‘1 to early 20th century. Early postcards from Nigeria showcased local cultures, personalities, industries, and han-coloured view of land and surrounding areas. Today these postcards preserves an important record of the work of local photographers and are critical resources in researching the history of African photography, (ask.com)
DEVELOPMENT OF PHOTOGRAPHY
The reproduction of images with light dated back to the ancient Greek. It was Aristole who describes light waves and hoe they behave when projected through a small opening known as the aperture. Sometimes later, application of Aristole principles were recorded in the middle ages when another scholar Frances Bacor employed a dark room with a tiny opening in a wall to permit light to enter from the outside with a resultant expectation of projecting an image or the opposite wall. The device employed in this experimentation became known as the camera obscura.
Camera obscura, a smaller darkened box with a lens that cast an image on a ground :|;lass. Gradually, the camera obscura began to experience some form of modifications which resulted in its reduction in size. What started then as a room transformed into a large box, with a pierce of glass added to the aperture and a mirror placed inside Ihe box. The mirror reflects image to the top of the box where another lens will permit its escape to be projected into a wall. Viewing the lens on top of the box the image is viewed from the outside of the camera obscura.
The discovery of German scientist, Johann A. Schulz in 1727 that silver salt were sensitive to light made it possible for camera to capture permanent images. Although this process used by Schulz was not stable and a crude image could only be captured till 1777, Carl Wilhelm Scheele improved on Schulz’s process and discovered through his study of the effect of light on silver chloride that the images captured on silver salt could be preserved longer with ammonia.
CHAPTER THREE
INNOVATION OF CAMERA
A camera is an object that takes the evidence of past event through visual. Camera is used to take
pictures which is used to make news more readable, accessible and flexible.
Early cameras are characterized by features such as triple extension bellows, extensive range of movements, interchangeable lenses and interchangeable back, all of which were taken for granted, many of these features were lost.
Another aspect introduced by the versatility of a camera is the increased possibility of faults in the complicated mechanism. Repair may be more frequent and call for increase in skill on the part of the repairer. Simple maintenance such as changing batteries that operate electronic shutter and Cds type exposure meters is the responsibility of the user.
Simple Camera: Evolving from the early primitive box cameras, simple camera has changed little in specification but alloy stampings. Design and styling of simple camera has undergone great changes.
Range Finder Camera: this type of camera utilizes a coincidence type range finder system coupled to the focusing mechanism of the lens to enable the lens accurately focus on the subject. Design of the range finder cameras advanced rapidly in conjunction with improvement in view finders with bright light frames.
CHAPTER FOUR
SUMMARY
Having succinctly considered the concept “photography”, as an ail or science which deals with drawing light or a permanent record of an image pictorially. It has become evident that in today’s worlds, hardly can photography be done away with. In other world photography can hardly be ignored especially in some fields of endeavor. So many business organizations have adopted photography. Most especially in journalism, thus encouraging the voracious practice of photojournalism.
However, the concept of photography may not be understood if proper trek-back has not been done to fit history. Dated back in time immemorial when photography was not taken cognizance of, when people never knew what photography was, in 1839 photography formerly came to be in existence by Sir John llerschel after Nicpce in the past has made use of “heliography and “sun drawing”.
It is important to note that photography as a concept has undisputable roles to play in every field due to its recording purpose. People make references to past scenes because there are photographs to show as evidence, however this is done with the help of photography.
Inclusively, the history of photography has root in remote antiquity with the discovery of the principle of the obscura and the observation that some substances are visibly altered by exposure to light. As far as is known, nobody thought of bringing this two phenomena together to capture camera images in permanent form until around 1800 when Thomas Wedgood made the first reliable document. Although un successful attempt. In mid 1820 Nicephore Niepce succeeded, but several days of exposure in the camera was required.
In terms of it technological background photography is the result of combining several different technical discoveries. Long before the first photographs were made, Chinese philosophers Moti and Greek mathematician Pinole Camera in the 5n and 4′ century BC. In the 6n century Byzantine mathematician and Athlete of Trailles use a type of camera obscura in his experiment. Al -Haythan (Alhazen 1965 in Basra 1040 in Cairo) studied the camera obscura and Pinhoie jfcfore photography was created, people already knew the principle of how it eventually got to work. I hey could process images on the wall or on piece of paper. However, no printing met was possible at that time as reserving it. The instrument that p’eople use for processing pictures was called the camera obscura (which is the latin word for dark room) and it was around for a Few century before photography came around.
Photography comes in different types it can abate desire in the most direct utilitarian way as when someone collects photographs of anonymous of the desirable as an aid of masturbation. The matter is more complex when photographs are used to stimulate the moral impulse. Desel has no history at least it is experienced in each instance of all foreground immediacy.
The different types of photography are as listed, landscape photography which have the tendency to stop and look at the beautiful scenery around one and freezes nature in one picture.
Another is the wild life photography: this focuses on animals and their natural habitat. Animals behavior in the wild are also captured by wild life photographer. Mostly these pictures are captured to be printed in journals and exhibitions.
Aerial photography is that kind of photography where pictures are captured from a higher altitude such as planes, air balloons, parachutes and skyscrapers.
Another kind of photography is sport photography this genre of photography specializes on capturing a decisive moment in an event of sport. It requires practice along with the various equipment. Sport photography focuses on sporting activities alone, unlike other forms of photography.
Portrait photography, one of the oldest types of photography is this kind. It can range from shooting your family members to friends to pets. It is often called portraiture and this type of photographers abounds.
!t is worth knowing that photography also has types, the types are as follows: formal pictures, informal pictures, action pictures, spontaneous action pictures, dramatic pictures, people without people pictures and quarrel necessity pictures.
RECOMMENDATION
With all that has been discussed earlier about photography, this project has made the following recommendation.
- For the’purpose of permanent recording of events, all organization should be
compelled to adopt This will help to keep the record of
whatever happens within and without the organization. Sometimes written
documents may be rendered fallacious, but when there is pictorial proof the
truth would unveil. - For the sake of clarity all the photography practitioners should be charged to
be more prolific and the care taking when taking photographs. - The federal government should make the use of camera compulsory for every
student of tertiary institution who are in the field of communication and
language, this will however assist in communication more effectively with - There should arise governmental censorship for photography. This is because
many photographers abuse the practice and they often go against the ethics of
the practice. - Moreso, the abuse of photography should be dealt with. There are people who
are fond of using camera to invade the privacy of others especially prominent
people in our society, hence this infamous people are directly abusing the
CONCLUSION
For photography to be more effectively involved in the growth and sustenance of the society there is need for the operators to be treated as stakeholders in the society, putatively, the word “photography” often sound unimportant in the ears of many people many consider it as the “work of the uneducated” but the pure fact is that photography goes beyond that.
In the world of today, where people will no longer go with or believe written document because the\’ are believed to be fallacicaliy based; virtually everybody wants pictorial proof of whatever they see. Photography can however help in achieving this.
It Will be of vital importance to establish that as the world begins to go global, hardly will people do Without photography in their day to day life.
Mores, our conclusion goes by penning down the fact that in most of the United Nation where conflicts and mayhem is not visible, if proper research could be conducted to discover the secret behind the unity of these nations, the outcome will be that photography has contributed to the peaceful living of the people of these nations.
The above position can be explained by saying that in these nations; most of the events that take place day by day are taken down in pictures.
REFERENCES
- Dela Roche (2000) Photography andits properties: Newage Publisher USA.
- Michael Moon (1993) Comprehensive Photography: The sea Publication United kingdom.
- Ralph Haltersly (1990) Understanding the concept of photography; Bluesea Publications Singapore.
- Langford (1979) Contribution of Photography to the Society; Langford Publishers United Kingdom.
- Remmy Tumms (1991) Photography Forms:
- Ade Michael (2014) Emergence of Photography: Oluogbon Publishers Ibadan. Rhonda Callow (2011) introduction to photography technology; Hallow Concept. John Naughton (2011) Photography and the new technology: D&G publishers USA
- Wasiu Tejuoso (2005) Basics of Photojournalism. Jedidah publishers Oke- Ilewo Abeokuta.
- Internet Sources. www.Questions and Answers.com Wikipedia.com.
