The art of photography has appeared a few centuries ago, but it has evolved to unprecedented heights in a short period of time. The study of the evolution of pictures gives an insight that art has become the main base for the development of photography. The advent of new technical features gave rise to the new methods of artistic expression. Picture perfectly and accurately captures the reality. One should speak of styles and means of artistic expression, which have certain variations in different eras, based on the possibilities of this kind of art. In order to determine these differences, it is necessary to compare the work of the best photographers who created their masterpieces with a difference of half a century or two.
Roger Fenton is one of the most influential and talented photographers of the early period of photography, who was born in England, 20 March 1819 (Photography, 2014). He was one of the first professional photographers, as well as the first war photographer. In the late 1830s, Roger Fenton started painting. Unable to reach much success in this field, he decided to move away from the art and become a lawyer. However, that period was his first encounter with photography. He quickly made headway in this new form of art, and in 1847, he opened the first photographic club together with other photographers, which was the first of its kind (Photography, 2014). In 1852, Fenton visited Russia. His series of photographs with views of Russian cities impressed England and made him famous. Fenton spoke with an initiative to form the Photographic Society, and in January 1853, the opening took place (Photography, 2014). In the same year, he made the first photograph of Queen Victoria, and become the official photographer at the British Museum, as well as the Queen's personal photographer. In addition, Fenton went to the front of the Crimean War, where he made a lot of brilliant shots that show the European public all the things that happened beyond the visible. The photo Reclining Odalisque (see Fig. 1) was taken in 1858 in Fenton's London studio. This photo can be considered a kind of staging. It has an iconic character: Fenton shot a young girl lying on a bed of oriental rugs type. In addition, the photo has a lot of attributes like eastern hand drum, vases, and hookah.
28.5 x 39 cm (11 1/4 x 15 3/8 in.). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
One should also pay attention to the work of one of the best contemporary photographers in order to understand how the art means of photography have evolved. Annie Leibovitz is the best example of the photographer of the new era. She was born in 1949 in the United States, in Connecticut (Leibovitz, Annie (1950), 1998). Annie was fond of photography since childhood. Her father was in the military, and the entire family often traveled around the world. Shortly after graduation from the San Francisco Art School, she started working on her own technique. Leibovitz worked in the magazine Rolling Stone, which became the most important background for her skills and experience (Leibovitz, Annie (1950), 1998). Generally, Annie specializes in filming celebrities; she has worked with dozens of the most famous people in the world. In addition, her art work is famous for its particular depth and professionalism.
If one compares Leibovitz and Fenton's techniques and methods of artistic expression, it becomes evident that the art of photography with the advent of new technologies has changed significantly, i.e. its technical capabilities, which are responsible for the quality of the captured image. For example, Roger Fenton's picture shot in 1858 and Annie Leibovitz's photo, which she shot in 2004, represent the vivid contrast of two epochs. Both images are very well thought out, as both photographers chose or created the most suitable atmosphere to transmit the necessary emotions. Leibovitz took a picture of Cate Blanchett in the open space, which gave her the opportunity to use natural lighting. The photo is very dynamic, as the movement of the object influenced the composition. In addition, Leibovitz's play of shadows clearly emphasizes the perspective. As for the photos of Fenton, it should be understood that he, as a photographer, had much less technical capabilities, which greatly influenced his work. Many aspects of the photographic process had to be performed manually. The picture Reclining Odalisque was shot according to the professional canons of the photography of the 1850s. The photo of the young woman was made in the room; therefore, Fenton used the artificial lighting. This is reflected in the quality of the image, but at the same time, this effect made it possible to make good use of the shadow. The details of the image are transmitted by means of the shadows. Perhaps, the photographer decided to make a static and isolated composition without the light of day in order to create an immersive painting. This fact is confirmed by Fenton's enthusiasm for painting in the early years.
Conclusions
In conclusions, if one compares the photos of Roger Fenton and Annie Leibovitz, one can assume that it is necessary to compare two completely different eras. The art of photography has become totally dependent on light; hence, most photographers used almost equally the play of light and shadows. In fact, the quality of the photos depends upon the overall image details and the technical differences.
References
Fenton, R. (Photographer). (1858). Reclining Odalisque. [digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1997.382.34/
Leibovitz, A. (Photographer). (December 2004). Cat Blanchett. [digital image]. Retrieved from http://bicyclechef.blogspot.com/2013/07/bicycles-in-vogue.html
Leibovitz, Annie (1950). (1998). In MarketHouseBooksLtd., The Penguin Biographical Dictionary of women. London, United Kingdom: Penguin. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/penbdw/leibovitz_annie_1950/0
Photography. (2014). In Encyclopaedia Britannica, Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Chicago, IL: Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/ebconcise/photography/0
