Introduction Thesis: Why was photography important during the Civil War.
Hook: Photography, meaning “drawing with lights” in Greek, is an art as well science of capturing light and storing it on some medium. Photographs have been used for over a century now for capturing moments of mankind and things around him, although photography dates back to 4th century B.C. But since its use, arguments have fired up to know whether photography can reflect the truth, the reality or instead push us away from it. Photography is just another art where an artist puts his thoughts and imaginations on a canvas using his creativity. Hence photography may not show what the reality is, it shows how the photographer sees the world or he wants us to see the world. …show more content…
Body
History
Photography was difficult during the Civil War, especially those who ventured out to the battlefields with their cameras.
It was a difficult and time consuming process. Photographers had to carry all of their heavy equipment, including their darkroom, by wagon. Cameras in the time of the Civil War were bulky and difficult to maneuver. Which made it a lot more difficult for the photographers to photograph the war. They also had to position the camera just right so the camera would focus.
The history of photography spans only about a century and a half, yet photography has greatly affected the way we perceive life.
While photographs of earlier conflicts do exist, the American Civil War is considered the first major conflict to be extensively photographed.
For the first time in history, citizens on the home front could view the actual carnage of far away battlefields. Civil War photographs stripped away much of the Victorian-era romance around warfare. With these advancements in photographic technology, made the Civil War become a true watershed moment in the history of photography. The iconic photos of the American Civil War would not only directly affect how the war was viewed from the home front, but it would also inspire future combat photographers who would take their cameras to the trenches of Flanders, the black sands of Iwo Jima, the steaming jungles of Vietnam, and the deserts of
Hook: Photography, meaning “drawing with lights” in Greek, is an art as well science of capturing light and storing it on some medium. Photographs have been used for over a century now for capturing moments of mankind and things around him, although photography dates back to 4th century B.C. But since its use, arguments have fired up to know whether photography can reflect the truth, the reality or instead push us away from it. Photography is just another art where an artist puts his thoughts and imaginations on a canvas using his creativity. Hence photography may not show what the reality is, it shows how the photographer sees the world or he wants us to see the world. …show more content…
Body
History
Photography was difficult during the Civil War, especially those who ventured out to the battlefields with their cameras.
It was a difficult and time consuming process. Photographers had to carry all of their heavy equipment, including their darkroom, by wagon. Cameras in the time of the Civil War were bulky and difficult to maneuver. Which made it a lot more difficult for the photographers to photograph the war. They also had to position the camera just right so the camera would focus.
The history of photography spans only about a century and a half, yet photography has greatly affected the way we perceive life.
While photographs of earlier conflicts do exist, the American Civil War is considered the first major conflict to be extensively photographed.
For the first time in history, citizens on the home front could view the actual carnage of far away battlefields. Civil War photographs stripped away much of the Victorian-era romance around warfare. With these advancements in photographic technology, made the Civil War become a true watershed moment in the history of photography. The iconic photos of the American Civil War would not only directly affect how the war was viewed from the home front, but it would also inspire future combat photographers who would take their cameras to the trenches of Flanders, the black sands of Iwo Jima, the steaming jungles of Vietnam, and the deserts of