web work 3

Autochrome

part a)

Autochrome is an early color photography process. This process was created by the Lumiere brothers thus the process is called Autochrome Lumiere. It was first marketed in 1907 and was the principal color process before subtractive color film which was created in the mid-1930s. Autochrome is an additive color where tiny grains of potato starch are dyed various colors and thus act as color filters. The brothers sold autochrome glass plates in various sizes. This process created a colored transparency on the glass with vibrant colors. They were usually viewed by holding the slide up to the light or projecting the image. Since Autochrome plates needed much longer exposures than the black-and-white plates and films, Autochrome exposures needed either a tripod or other stand and was not a very effective way to film subjects that were moving. If it was made well and preserved well the color values can still be very good. Auto chromes were fairly difficult to manufacture and expensive but they were easy to use. They were very popular for photographers who weren’t professional and therefore not favorable among professionals. Although these pictures give us a taste of color, most of the autochrome pictures I have looked at seemed almost unreal and more like paintings. The colors present are not the colors you would normally see in pictures and the give the pictures almost an eerie look to them. With many different circles of color it’s not always the clearest picture. Although these pictures weren’t liked by professionals I feel that this process is very unique and inventive. I enjoyed learning about this process very much.

part b)