Talbot's Processes - Photographic Processes Series - Chapter 3 of 12

Early Photography

The video traces the early development of photography through the work of William Henry Fox Talbot in England and Louis Daguerre in France. Working independently, they developed different processes: Daguerre made images on metal plates, while Talbot experimented with light-sensitive paper. Their achievements became public around the same time, sparking a lasting debate over who “invented” photography.

Talbot’s Experiments

Talbot wanted to capture images from a camera without drawing them by hand. His early photogenic drawings were made by placing objects such as ferns on treated paper and exposing them to sunlight. He found that saltwater could reduce the paper’s sensitivity in areas that had not received light, helping preserve the image. The resulting prints were delicate and needed protection from bright light.

Photographic Processes

• Photogenic drawings: Paper was coated with salt and then silver nitrate. Objects were placed on the paper, covered with glass, and exposed to sunlight. The light darkened the paper where it reached it.
• Salted-paper prints: Talbot’s photogenic-drawing process was later fixed with hyposulfite (sodium thiosulfate), a chemical whose use for removing silver halides was discovered by Sir John Herschel. Because the image is absorbed into the paper, prints tend to look soft and somewhat grainy.
• Calotype negative-positive process: Talbot used silver iodide and developed a briefly exposed, invisible (“latent”) image with gallic acid. After fixing the negative, he placed it against another sheet of sensitive paper and exposed it to make a positive print. This repeatable negative-to-positive method became photography’s standard for generations.

Comparing Photographic Styles

The video contrasts the crisp, dimensional appearance of a daguerreotype with the softer, more expressive look of salted-paper prints. It presents early photography as a tension between precise information and artistic character.

Early prints were often viewed intimately, sometimes under candlelight, and protected from bright light.

The Pencil of Nature

To demonstrate photography’s capabilities, Talbot published The Pencil of Nature (rendered in the subtitles as “Nature’s Pencil”). The book combined explanations of his process with salt-paper prints, many showing Lacock Abbey, and demonstrated photography’s ability to produce reproducible images.

Creators and Contributors

The video features William Henry Fox Talbot, Louis Daguerre, Thomas Wedgwood, Nicéphore Niépce, and Sir John Herschel.