Indlela Okwaqala Ngayo Ukuthwebula Izithombe

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ESWEDEN

Kuthiwa izivakashi zesazi sesayensi yemvelo sase-Italy UGiambattista Della Porta (1535?-1615) zashaqeka. odongeni oluphambi kwazo, kwakunemifanekiso emincane ebheke phansi yabantu abanyakazayo. Ngenxa yokwethuka, lezi zivakashi zaphuma zimpampa kuleli gumbi. UDella Porta wamangalelwa ngokuthakatha!

YILEYO-KE imiphumela abhekana nayo ngenxa yokuzama ukujabulisa izivakashi zakhe ngokuzibonisa i-camera obscura—ngokwezwi nezwi okusho ukuthi “igumbi elimnyama” ngesiLatini. Indlela le khamera esebenza ngayo ilula, kodwa imiphumela iyamangalisa kakhulu. Isebenza kanjani?

Lapho ukukhanya kungena egumbini elimnyama ngembotshana encane, odongeni kubonakala umfanekiso obheke phansi walokho okungaphandle. Lokho izivakashi zikaDella Porta ezakubona kwakumane nje kungabadlali baseshashalazini ababenza umdlalo bengaphandle. I-camera obscura yayingumanduleli wekhamera yesimanje. Namuhla kungenzeka nawe uphakathi kwezigidi zabantu abanamakhamera noma okungenani abake basebenzisa ikhamera evamile futhi engabizi, elahlwayo ngemva kokuthwebula izithombe.

I-camera obscura yayingeyona into entsha osukwini lukaDella Porta. U-Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.) wabona le nqubo ikhamera eyayizosebenza ngayo kamuva. Isazi esingumArabhu sekhulu leshumi u-Alhazen sayichaza ngokucacile, kanti umdwebi wekhulu le-15 uLeonardo da Vinci wabhala ngayo ezincwadini zakhe. Ukusungulwa kweso lekhamera (i-lens) ngekhulu le-16 kwathuthukisa ukusebenza kwamakhamera, futhi abadwebi abaningi babesebenzisa lona ukuze bayikhiphe njengoba injalo leyo nto abayidwebayo, baveze nobukhulu bayo ngokunembile. Kodwa-ke, naphezu kwemizamo eminingi, kwakuyinkinga ukwenza le mifanekiso ihlale isikhathi eside, kwaze kwaba ngekhulu le-19.

Umthwebuli Wezithombe Wokuqala Ngqá Emhlabeni

UJoseph-Nicéphore Niepce, isazi esingumFulentshi sesayensi yezinto zemvelo, kungenzeka waqala emuva ngo-1816 ukufuna indlela yokwenza izithombe zihlale isikhathi eside. Kodwa impumelelo yakhe yangempela yabonakala lapho ezama ukunyathelisa ngezitensela futhi ethola ingxube yetiyela eqinayo lapho iselangeni okuthiwa i-bitumen of Judaea. Esikhathini esithile maphakathi nawo-1820, wafaka ungcwecwana ohuqwe ngaleli tiyela kuyi-camera obscura eyayiqondene nefasitela lomuzi wakhe futhi wawubeka elangeni amahora angu-8. Ngisho nomthwebuli wezithombe oyimfundamakhwela namuhla ubungeke umjabulise umfanekiso ongacacile wesakhiwo, umuthi nengobo owavela lapho, kodwa uNiepce wayenesizathu sokuziqhenya ngalokho. Umfanekiso wakhe kungenzeka wawuyisithombe sokuqala ngqá esingaphuphi kwezake zathwetshulwa!

Ukuze athuthukise inqubo yakhe, ngo-1829, uNiepce wazibandakanya nosomabhizinisi okhaliphile okuthiwa uLouis Daguerre. Eminyakeni eyalandela ngemva kokufa kukaNiepce ngo-1833, uDaguerre wenza intuthuko ephawulekayo. Wagcoba izingcwecwe zethusi nge-silver iodide. Le ngxube yabonakala ishintsha umbala ngokushesha lapho ibekwa elangeni kunetiyela. Kwenzeka ngengozi ukuba athole ukuthi lapho edlulisa lezi zingcwecwe emusini wesigidi ngemva kokuzibeka elangeni, isithombe ebesilufifi sasivela kahle sicace. Lokhu kwanciphisa isikhathi sokubeka izingcwecwe elangeni. Lapho kamuva uDaguerre ethola ukuthi ukugeza ungcwecwe ngengxube kasawoti kwakwenza isithombe singagqunqi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kwase kuyisikhathi sokuba ukuthwebula izithombe kushise izikhotha emhlabeni kabanzi.

Wethulwa Emhlabeni Kabanzi

Lapho umshini kaDaguerre, owawubizwa ngokuthi i-daguerreotype, wethulwa emphakathini ngo-1839, kwaba nelikhulu isasasa. Isazi uHelmut Gernsheim siyabhala encwadini yaso ethi The History of Photography: “Mhlawumbe awukho omunye umshini owake wakhanga umphakathi ngezinga elingaka futhi wathandwa ngokushesha okukhulu kangaka emhlabeni kabanzi njenge-daguerreotype.” Ufakazi owazibonela ngamehlo lapho lo mshini wethulwa emphakathini wabhala: “Ngemva kwehora, zonke izitolo zodokotela bamehlo zagcwala phama, kodwa zazingenayo imishini eyanele yokwanelisa isixuku esasimagange sifuna ukusebenzisa i-daguerreotype; ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva kuzo zonke izigcawu zaseParis wawubona amabhokisi amnyama anemilenze emithathu ebekwe phambi kwamasonto nezigodlo. Zonke izazi sesayensi yemvelo, osokhemisi nezifundiswa zasenhloko-dolobha zazicwebezelisa izingcwecwe zesiliva, ngisho nabaninizitolo abanothile babekuthola kunzima ukuzincisha injabulo yokudela izimali zabo ukuze bathole lo mshini obonisa intuthuko, futhi bazichithe nasekuthengeni i-iodine nesigidi.” Imithombo yezindaba yaseParis ngokushesha yabiza lesi simo sokuthatheka kwabantu ngokuthi i-daguerréotypomanie (ukusanganiswa yi-daguerreotype).

Izinga eliphakeme lomklamo wama-daguerreotype lashukumisela usosayensi waseBrithani uJohn Herschel ukuba abhale: “Akukhona neze ukweqisa ukuwachaza ngokuthi ayisimangaliso.” Abanye baze bathi lo mshini uklanywe ngomlingo.

Kodwa akubona bonke abantu ababewuncoma lo mshini omusha. Ngo-1856 inkosi yaseNaples yakuvimbela ngokomthetho ukuthwetshulwa kwezithombe, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokuthi kwakucatshangwa ukuthi kuhlobene “neso elibi.” Lapho ebona i-daguerreotype, umdwebi ongumFulentshi uPaul Delaroche wababaza: “Kusukela namuhla isiphelile indaba yokudweba!” Lo mshini wababangela nokukhathazeka okukhulu abadwebi ababewubheka njengosongo endleleni yabo yokuziphilisa. Ingqapheli ethile yaveza ukwesaba kwabathile lapho ithi: “Ngenxa yokuthi izithombe ezithwetshuliwe ziveza imifanekiso njengoba injalo lokho kungenza umuntu abone ukuthi akamuhle njengoba abecabanga.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, izithombe ezithwetshuliwe zazigxekwa ngoba njalo nje zaziveza iqiniso kanjalo zishabalalise imibono yokuzikhohlisa ngobuhle nokubukeka kobusha eyayaziswa kakhulu.

UDaguerre Uqhathaniswa NoTalbot

UWilliam Henry Fox Talbot, isazi sesayensi yemvelo saseNgilandi, wayecabanga ukuthi nguye owasungula indlela yokuthwebula izithombe, ngakho wamangala lapho kwethulwa umshini omusha kaDaguerre. UTalbot wayefaka amaphepha ane-silver chloride kuyi-camera obscura. Kamuva wayegcoba umfanekiso olufifi (i-negative) ukuze ubonakale ngokucacile, awubeke phezu kwelinye iphepha eligcotshiwe, abese elibeka elangeni, kanjalo kuphume isithombe esicacile (i-positive).

Nakuba ekuqaleni inqubo kaTalbot yayingathandwa kakhulu futhi ingeyezinga eliphansi, yabonakala inamathuba angcono okuveza izithombe ezinhle. Yayivumela umuntu ukuba enze amakhophi amaningi esebenzisa umfanekiso olufifi (i-negative), kanti kwakulula futhi kushibhile ukukhiqiza izithombe zephepha kunokusebenzisa ama-daguerreotype aphukayo. Ukuthwebula izithombe namuhla kusasekelwe enqubweni kaTalbot, kanti i-daguerreotype, nakuba yayithandwa ekuqaleni, laphela isasasa layo.

Nokho, kwakungeyena kuphela uNiepce, uDaguerre noTalbot ababelwela isikhundla sokuba uMsunguli Wokuthwebula Izithombe. Ngemva kwesimemezelo sikaDaguerre ngo-1839, kunamadoda okungenani angu-24—kusukela eNorway esenyakatho kuya eBrazil eseningizimu—aqhamuka esethi yiwo asungule indlela yokuthwebula izithombe.

Izinguquko Ezinkulu Ezalethwa Ukuthwebula Izithombe

Zisuka nje, umgqugquzeli wezinguquko kwezenhlalo, uJacob August Riis wabona umsebenzi wokuthwebula izithombe njengethuba elihle lokwazisa umphakathi ngobumpofu nokuhlupheka kwabantu. Ngo-1880 waqala ukuthwebula izithombe zamafuku aseNew York City ngemva kokushona kwelanga esebenzisa uphawuda ovuthayo we-magnesium osepanini njengesibani se-flash—inqubo eyayihambisana nezingozi. Washisa indlu ayesebenzela kuyo kabili, kanti kwake kwathungeleka nezingubo ayezigqokile. Kuthiwa izithombe zakhe zingezinye zezinto ezashukumisela uMongameli uTheodore Roosevelt ukuba asungule umkhankaso wezinguquko eziningi lapho ethatha isikhundla sobumongameli. Amandla ashukumisayo ezithombe eziningi ezinhle ezathwetshulwa uWilliam Henry Jackson ashukumisa iSigele sase-United States ngo-1872 ukuba senze iYellowstone ibe indawo yokuqala yombuso yokulondoloza imvelo emhlabeni.

Bonke Abantu Bavulekelwa Ithuba

Ekupheleni kwawo-1880, abantu abaningi ababefuna ukuthwebula izithombe babevinjwa yizindleko nokuba yinkimbinkimbi komsebenzi wokuthwebula. Kodwa ngo-1888 lapho uGeorge Eastman esungula i-Kodak, ikhamera ephathekayo okulula ukuyisebenzisa futhi eyayifakwa ifilimu, wavula indlela yokuba abantu abaningi banambithe ukuthwebula izithombe.

Ngemva kokuthwebula ngaleli filimu, ikhasimende laliyihambisa yonke ikhamera efektri. Lapho, ifilimu lalikhishwa ligezwe, kufakwe ifilimu elisha, bese ikhamera ibuyiselwa kumnikazi wayo, kanye nezithombe ezigeziwe—konke okwakungabizi kakhulu. Kwakungekhona ukweqisa ukusebenzisa isiqubulo esithi “Wena chofoza inkinombo, konke okunye ukushiyele kithi.”

Bonke abantu base bekwazi ukuthwebula izithombe, futhi izithombe ezingaphezu kwezinkulungwane zezigidi ezithwetshulwa minyaka yonke zibonisa ukuthi nanamuhla ukuthwebula izithombe kuseyintandokazi. Futhi okwenza ukuba lokhu kuthandwe nakakhulu ukuthi manje sekukhona amakhamera ohlobo lwe-digital aveza izithombe ezakhiwe ngezigidigidi zamachashazi. Asebenzisa amakhadi amancane okugcina ukwaziswa okungase kufakwe kuwo inqwaba yezithombe. Umuntu angazenzela nezithombe ezigqamile nge-computer nomshini wokunyathelisa ekhaya. Akungabazeki ukuthi ukuthwebula izithombe sekuthuthuke kakhulu.

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Isithombe se-“daguerreotype” esibonisa iParis, cishe ngo-1845

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Isithombe esishicilelwe okungenzeka sasingesokuqala ngqá, cishe ngo-1826

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Umdwebo we-“camera obscura,” eyayisetshenziswa abadwebi abaningi

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UNiepce

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Isithombe se-“daguerreotype” sango-1844 esibonisa uDaguerre, kanye nekhamera yakhe

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Indawo yokusebenzela kaWilliam Talbot, cishe ngo-1845, kanye namakhamera akhe

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Isithombe sango-1890 sikaGeorge Eastman ephethe ikhamera No. 2 ye-Kodak, kanye nekhamera yakhe u-No. 1 nefilimu

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Isithombe seYellowstone National Park, esathwetshulwa uW. H. Jackson, ngo-1871

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Amakhamera anamuhla ohlobo lwe-“digital” athwebula izithombe ngezigidigidi zamachashazi

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Panoramic of Paris: Photo by Bernard Hoffman/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images; Niepce’s photograph: Photo by Joseph Niepce/Getty Images; camera obscura: Culver Pictures

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Page 23: Talbot’s studio: Photo by William Henry Fox Talbot & Nicholaas Henneman/Getty Images; Talbot’s camera: Photo by Spencer Arnold/Getty Images; Kodak photo, Kodak camera, and Daguerre camera: Courtesy George Eastman House; Yellowstone: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-52 482