The Inclination of portraits

The Inclination of portraits

Portrait photography has been playing an important role in learning about the history of photography. Portrait photography is seen as photographic evidence to document history. Before portrait photography had come along, there was a list of ways for individuals to get their portrait done. During the early development of portraits, they were used by individuals who were climbing the ladder of the social class to signify their social to the rest of the world. The first of many were miniature portrait painting. Miniature portraits were popularized by the nobility and bourgeoisies since the portraits required flawlessness. Portrayal of individuals in miniature portraits had to resemble ideal individuals similar to someone belonging to a wealthy family. The cut portrait which is called a silhouette was more of a minimalistic cut out unlike the detailed miniature portrait. The silhouettes were minimalistic because they were little detailed and contained the shadow of the individual. They were made from shiny black paper which helped the portraitist finish the portrait in no time. As time went on, Silhouette portraits were being improved which saw portraits with added minor details by engraving to appeal to the public. Gilles-Louis Chretien came out with an invention which was psyionotrace. Physionotrace was able to the merge portraiture, silhouettes and engraving into achieving a portrait that was moderately priced. The physionotrace was the expansion of the silhouette but engraving gave the detailed aspect of the miniature. As always, the elite class were the ones to have their portraits done to reinforce their social class to the rest of the world. The technology developed for that period of time helped achieved the finished portraits but also the advancement of portrait making showed that there were individuals coming up with innovative ideas.

Portrait photography in the early days was a complicated process to achieve the finished product. There were numerous methods to get portraits unlike the portraits of today. Seemingly, the early stages of photography saw the upper classes going in for portraits as they were the one who could afford it. It could also symbolize that there was a meaning to why individuals of the upper class would get a portrait, to reinforce that they are of that social class. Daguerreotype portraits were achieved with the use of camera obscura with alterations done with the use of long exposures. Wet collodion portraits were achieved with the mixture of different chemicals and use of the chemical reactions. Carte de viste was a method of portrait photography which smaller sized portraits. All of the following types of photography had a significant impact on technology back then as compared to how we use photography now. Today's photography has gone all out digital but there is a sector that prefers film photography. The earlier methods of photography made a impact on photography as it is still can be achieve throughout the process of developing. Photography is much more accessible now than before and it has affected portrait photography. Back in the early stages of portrait photography, it was exclusive to an dominate social class. As technology advanced, photographers saw that there was a demand for the working class to also take portraits and this played a benefit for carte de viste which consisted of smaller portraits. In today's society, having a portrait doesn't show that you belong to a certain but you have memories of your family. That can be said the same for portraits of the early days as we look at as historical evidence as how portraits have came to be what they are now.

References:

History of Photography-Lemagny Rouille

Precursors of Photoportrait - Gisele Freund