Enjoy This Photography Lesson from 1948

Photography Tips

Have you ever considered just how far photography has come in only a matter of decades? Here’s a blast of the past from the days of yesteryear, courtesy of the US Navy:

Starting with the invention of the camera obscura, this educational film dating back to 1948 details the early history of the camera as well as the innovations that led to the device as we know it today. It also explains the mechanics behind some of the state-of-the-art technology of the time, including commonplace fabric and metal box cameras, newly invented aerial cameras utilizing fixed telephoto lenses, and mounted barrel lenses equipped with mechanical shutters. Revealing just how much has changed over the years, the film also has an extensive segment concerning various types of film available on the market.

However, what’s most interesting about this aging short is not the differences between then and now so much as how many of the basic concepts of photography have stayed the same over time. Though we may have upgraded to digital sensors inside of cameras equipped with bluetooth and GPS capabilities, the essential components have remained.

Take a look at this relic for yourself – you may be surprised at what you might learn from the masters of the past!

“From the time long ago, when the camera obscura was described by della Porta, the camera has gone through many changes, and has had many improvements.”