Post #6: The Camera Lens

 

The Camera Lens

While going through our EOTO presentation we allowed ourselves to be exposed to many technologies that were vital in the evolution of how we communicate with each other today. While we covered many different ways in which we as humans have begun to communicate with each other the side that has been the most interesting to me is regarding the camera or more directly the camera lens.

The first major thing about the camera that surprised me was how old the bases of the technology actually were. The Egyptians use of concaved quartz in order to create the illusion was not the origin I was expecting. The new step of various states across the Mediterranean adopting the lens for various purposes like magnification or fire starters seemed like a natural progression that made a large amount of sense for the technology during the middle ages but it was when people discovered that if they could use a form of metal power were the technology really took off.

 Once the French discovered that the power reacted when expose to light we were able to get the first photograph in which they cover a piece of concrete in the power. The process was extremely different but after 8 hours the power had left behind a temporary image based off of the light it was exposed to. This quickly the technology evolved resulting in the first permanent photo shortly after as people figured out how to contain the reaction and transfer the result onto a paper with the help of a lens that controlled and angled the light. This technology would continue to evolve, allowing for photos, films, and shows to be created until we reach a point where the lens has become so common place we all have one in our pocket.