In this assignment I had to choose a photography from the 19th century, and write a short think piece about it. I chose a photo from a swedish/british photographer called Oscar Rejlander.
Oscar Rejlander – The Two Ways Of Life, 1857.
This is an image consisting of 30 different negatives, printed onto one large piece of paper. This was the first step towards what we today know as Photoshop and image editing, we owe it all to the experimental and inventive Oscar Rejlander . This technique became popular in the late 19th century, and they called it trick-photography. I chose this photo because I find it sort of amusing to see the humor in these types of photos. It is also quite interesting to see the start of image editing, since it it is so relevant for my study.
Considering this photo, or photos if you like, was made so long ago, it still has a surprisingly good quality. I like the way the photographer uses different light settings and angles on the 30 different models, but still make them go together so good. He gives the photo a lot of depth by placing the larger images in front, and the smaller ones in the back. This also gives the photo a realistic look, even though it consists of many different negatives.
All in all a great photo, and I think it is a important piece in the history of photography.
Image source: http://nationalmediamuseumblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/oscar-gustav-rejlander-pioneered-combination-printing/
captainmildred 