The Early Development of Photography Studios
The invention of photography in the early 19th century posed the question of where to shoot photographs. As the exposure time required for photography was long at the beginning, the first daguerreotype photographs were taken outdoors, but with the development of glass plate negatives in the 1850s, indoor photography became possible for the first time. This required the first photography studios – rudimentary indoor facilities with a glass roof so that light could stream in. These early studios were very rudimentary with a backdrop and props, though minimally. The photographer had to be knowledgeable in chemistry since he or she had to make wet plates before each session. The majority of the initial photography studios were located in homes or in the studios of painters who made portraiture images. A demand for portraits especially among the higher classes of society paved way for professional photography to become lucrative business.
The Emergence of Stylish Retail Studios
With the development of new techniques enabling faster exposure times, studios for professional photography were increasingly established starting from the mid-nineteenth century. It was common for these studios to have built in spaces that displayed printed backdrops ranging from nature to classical architecture. One example of a lavish Picture Gallery created as a studio was by Henry Goodridge in 1863 in London. These early studios meant business as they advertised themselves as a selling experience of images to their affluent patrons. The increase in the middle class and their desire to imitate the upper classes contributed to the establishment of such studios.
Standardized developments referred to big windows, symmetrical backgrounds, beautiful waiting and dressing rooms. With the advancement in technology, photography became more of a social activity, for instance when taking wedding or portrait pictures at the age of marriage, studios adopted more effective techniques. The role of the photographer was separated from that of the darkroom technician. Airbrushing and other such services became important as retouching etc. It was during this period that women photographers were observed in the field. Other advancements such as cabinet cards and later on the black and white film rolls also contributed towards the increased usage of portrait photographs.
Development of Photojournalism and Street Photography
Posed studio photography was prominent at the same time, but a shift was observed in candid outdoor photography that became popular especially with newspapers and magazines. Photojournalists went on the field to document events as they unfolded, taking pictures of what they saw. Jacob Riis photographed tenement living conditions, while Lewis Hine took pictures to emphasize the poor and the use of children in factories. Photojournalists covered themselves in the ongoing war zones during World War I in order to capture the reality of war. Sports photography featuring athletes in motion grew to be wildly popular in publication as cameras such as the Ermanox with fast lens emerged in the markets. There was plenty of photography attempts in the Great Depression as for example Walker Evan’s iconic depicted commissioned by the Farm Security Administration documenting the hardships of ordinary Americans.
Pioneers such as Henri Carter-Bresson employed new theories like ‘The Decisive Moment’ with compact rangefinder cameras to capture life candidly around European streets without much discretion. Film sensitivity was constantly improving, shutters speeds were constantly getting faster, the ergonomic Leica and other small cameras were portable and versatile, and on-the-go flash equipment provided street photographers with immense creative freedom without the constraining mold of a studio. The availability of specialty camera stores meant that equipment that fueled more enthusiasts was readily available.
Colour & Automation as the Key Points Affecting Studio Trends
New arriving colour films and prints in the 1930s give much hype and practice amongst both professional and amateur persons. Accomplished advertising photographer Anton Bruehl boldly included intense colors in studio shots of suave fashion and products against creative backdrops. This was because brands became more concerned with advertising and hence they wanted studios to emphasize on color so as to capture the attention of consumers with cultures of television and magazines. Backgrounds also became more imaginative through the use of montages, artwork or abstract elements that could boldly complement or contrast with featured colors with relative ease. Due to restricted natural light availability, which was once an element in shooting, with the complex and overwhelming lighting equipment used for shooting, studios operated as day and night shoot locations. This was made possible through increasing automation thus cutting on cost and increasing productivity. Off-camera lighting provided for stunts and other special effects. As for the equipment, inventions such as in-camera light meters contributed to making results more consistent and to systematically standardize the shooting in branches.
Advertising agencies became an embodiment of the emergence of brand management, thematic, and stylistic orientations in campaigns that used photography studios and professionals strictly. Photography shifted to being a sales technique rather than an art form The photography schools & manuals standardized most of studio photography into technical formula. Studio quality cameras, film types, lenses, studio light and beds and processing technologies made available to the amateur hobbyists due to the rising enthusiasm through magazines and camera clubs further standardized the professional studio photography.
Counterculture & Postmodernism
However, against highly controlled commercial images rose alternatives subversive styles thriving in avant-garde circles probing formalist limits. Man Ray created Surrealist pictures using Rayographs as well as Solarization and Brassai photographed nights in Paris with the help of only lighting and shadows. Warhol and other pop artists challenged the essence of photography in their pop art and multimedia pieces that remain significant to this day. Photographers such as Diane Arbus and Mary Ellen Mark captured awkward or shocking realities of the society’s outcasts. The rebellious sixties gave way to politics of liberated self-expressions thriving in subcultures to the fullest. Groups such as Group f/64 therefore formed and went against the traditional norms to bring out new styles. New philosophies such as staged tableaus, deadpan portraits with no signs of emotion, deliberately lit theatrical shots, collages, photomontage works among others were boldly introduced in the seventies fearlessly reinterpreting photographic basics.
Digital Revolution and Online Distribution
From the late 20th century, the availability of affordable digital cameras, image editing tools and the use of the internet also altered the foundations of photography. Photoshopped skills replaced dark rooms. Everyone could capture images and immediately be able to view, modify, improve, and even share pictures with others globally. Social media gave one a chance to advance themselves or their projects thus eradicating the role of gatekeepers. It also became eclectic because trends were no longer imposed from the top but were adopted from below, through subcultures. The cameras in mobile phones made everyone possible photographers social media platforms such as Instagram created millions of casual photographers and groups focusing on specific genres and looks. This now made photography very personal and individualistic. While established photography studios maintained their commitment to traditional media such as film, the new generation of studios embraced digital objectives ranging from augmented reality to CGI composites. The concept of co-space enables group interaction in the generation of new ideas. Most of the postmodern styles like Glamour, HDR, Irrealism are practised online challenging the very definition of what constitutes photography and has brought the practice and its potential audience to a much larger base. Today, personal photography studios are free to find their own style and develop themselves within this versatile environment.
The history of photography studios narrates a story of evolution from confined practical rooms with the sole purpose of capturing light, into grandiose controlled selling arenas challenging the basics and now democratised personal identity and actualisation spaces available for everyone. The next frontier is thus waiting to be seized for young photographers across the world to seize.
