Category: Informed Practice

Cameras during the victorian period were all made with light exposure technology. A glass plate was coated in chemical, and slotted into the back of the camera. Light would flow through a tiny pinhole at the front of the camera and expose the picture onto the glass, imprinting the image. This would take a long time, the exposure time varies depending on sunlight conditions of the day. People having their portrait taken would have to sit utterly still to avoid blurs. Mothers who wanted single portraits of their babies would cloak themselves in blankets to hold them still while the chemical was being exposed. This resulted in some pretty strange photos. Some are less obvious than others but it seems hilariously creepy to me that someone is stealthily disguised in the back of every baby photo.

homework for a thursday online session with jane