William Henry Fox Talbot (11 February 1800 – 17 September 1877) was a British inventor and photography pioneer who invented the Calotype process, a new photographic processes of the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1833, while visiting Lake Como in Italy, his lack of success at sketching the scenery made him want to invent a new machine with light-sensitive paper that would make make these pictures he is trying to sketch automatically.
Calotype Process
Although simply exposing photographic paper to the light produced an image, it required extremely long exposure times. Talbot accidentally found out that there was an image even if the exposure was only quick. The only problem was that he could not see it. Soon after discovering this he found a chemical which allowed him to develop it into a useful image, the chemical was called Gallic Acid.
Calotype Process
Although simply exposing photographic paper to the light produced an image, it required extremely long exposure times. Talbot accidentally found out that there was an image even if the exposure was only quick. The only problem was that he could not see it. Soon after discovering this he found a chemical which allowed him to develop it into a useful image, the chemical was called Gallic Acid.
My viewsI do not really find Talbot's images inspiring simply because his few photos are not really things I would want to take pictures of. I do find it interesting that he invented a process that we still use today and that it was invented so close to my hometown. After actually visiting Lacock Abbey It does feel surreal looking at the photo he took through the window in 1835, such an astonishingly long time ago, it is amazing how they still have it!
|