Lesson video

Hello, my name's Mrs. Casey.

What's your name? I'm really excited to join you for this history lesson today.

Today's lesson is called, "The Challenges of Early Photography." It's part of the history unit, "Photographs from history.

What can they tell us about Britain's recent past?" I'm really excited to find out about the challenges of early photography.

When photography was first invented, it was very different from today.

We're going to learn all about different types of cameras and how they worked.

Are you ready to get started? Let's go.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to describe some of the challenges of early photography, and compare these with photography today.

Compare means to learn about the differences and the similarities.

What was different and what was the same.

Here are the key words for today's lesson.

Developed.

Camera film.

Can you have a go at saying those? My turn, developed.

Your turn.

Excellent.

My turn, camera film.

Your turn.

Superb.

Let's find out what they mean.

Photographs taken with old cameras had to be developed using camera film, and special liquids to make prints of the images on paper.

Camera film is a roll of plastic that is stored inside the camera.

Look out for these words in our lesson today.

Today's lesson has two parts to it, early cameras and challenges.

Let's find out about early cameras.

The very first photograph ever to be taken was created by a French scientist 200 years ago.

The photograph was of the view from a window at his house.

Here is a picture of it.

It's not very clear, is it? It was taken using a device called a camera obscura.

This was a dark box with a small hole to let light in.

The photograph was developed using special liquids called chemicals.

It took over eight hours to develop the photograph so that people could see it.

A few years later, two different versions of this camera were created.

Both cameras took hours to produce a photograph.

They look very different from today's cameras, don't they? In the past, you had to pay a photographer to take a photo.

This was very expensive, but still cheaper than having your picture painted.

Excellent listening, everyone.

Let's check what we've learned so far.

Here is a true or false.

Is this statement true or false? In the past, cameras looked very different from modern camera phones.

True or false? Pause the video and decide if the statement is true or false.

Well done.

That's correct.

In the past, cameras looked very different from modern camera phones.

This is true.

Is it true because, A, the first cameras were wooden boxes with a small hole to let light in, or B, the first cameras were inside a phone and you can fit them into your pocket? The first cameras were wooden boxes with small hole to let light in.

Well done.

Soon cameras started to be sold in shops and were easy for everyone to use.

For the first time, ordinary people take photographs.

These cameras were first sold 130 years ago.

They had rolls of camera film inside that had to be sent off to be developed before you can see the images.

Can you see the photograph of a roll of camera film? Let's check what we've learned.

Identify whether each statement is true or false.

Indicate your answer with a tick for true or a cross for false.

A, cameras had a roll of camera film that had to be developed before you could see your photographs.

B, camera film is a roll of plastic that is used to develop photographs.

C, people used to take camera film to a school and wait for photos to be developed.

Pause the video and decide which statements are true and which are false.

Cameras had a role of camera film that had to be developed before you could see your photographs.

That was true.

Camera film is a roll of plastic that is used to develop photographs.

That's true also.

People did not use to take their camera film to a school and wait for the photographs to be developed.

People used to take their camera film to a shop to wait for photographs to be developed.

Did you get those right? Well done, everyone.

Polaroid cameras were a different type of camera that instantly printed out the photographs.

When Polaroid cameras were invented, people were amazed.

They could print out the photograph immediately.

Polaroid cameras are still popular today.

Around 30 years ago, digital cameras became available.

Digital cameras use a light sensor instead of a roll of camera film.

They have a screen where you can view the photograph.

These photographs can be stored electronically or printed at home.

Here is a photograph of a digital camera.

Can you see the screen? Let's check what we've learned about cameras so far.

Match the camera to the correct description.

Digital camera, Polaroid camera.

This camera prints out a photograph immediately.

This camera shows you a photograph on the screen.

Pause the video and decide which description matches to which camera.

A digital camera is a camera that shows you a photograph on the screen.

The Polaroid camera prints out a photograph immediately.

Well done, everyone.

Nowadays, many people can take photographs using their phone.

The first camera phones were available around 15 years ago.

Have you ever had a photograph taken on a camera phone? Now it's time to check what we've learned about early cameras.

Fill in the missing word in the sentence.

"Nowadays, people can take a photograph using their, phone, toothbrush, glasses." Can you fill in the missing word in this sentence? Phone.

The missing word was phone.

"Nowadays, people can take their photographs using their phone." Taking a photograph on a phone is quick and easy.

Fantastic, everyone.

Now it's time for our first task.

Which was invented first? Put the cameras in order.

The box camera, the digital camera, the phone camera, a camera with film.

Pause the video and have a go at putting them in order.

Excellent work, everyone.

Here is the correct order.

The box camera, camera with film, a digital camera, and lastly, a phone camera.

Did you get them in the right order? Now, it's time to move on to the second part of our lesson challenges.

In this part of the lesson, we're gonna find out what the challenges of early photography were, and what was the same and what was different to today.

Today, taking a photograph is very quick and easy and available to everyone.

But it hasn't always been like that.

In the past, all photographs were black and white.

Colour photography haven't been invented.

Nowadays, we can have coloured photographs or black and white ones.

Here is a family photograph in black and white from the past, and here is a modern coloured photograph.

Let's check what we've learned so far.

Laura is talking about photographs from the past.

Do you agree with Laura? Discuss your ideas with a partner.

Here is what Laura said.

"I know this is an old photograph because it is in black and white." Can you see the photograph? It's a black and white photograph of a child and a baby.

Pause the video and discuss your ideas with a partner.

Your answer could have included, "In the past, all photographs were black and white." "Nowadays, digital photographs can be black and white or colour." "So this photograph could be old or new." In the past, photography was very expensive.

People had to pay a photographer to take a picture of them.

Not everyone could afford to have their photograph taken.

So many old photographs are of rich people.

Here is a photograph of a photographer.

Can you see the old fashioned camera on the stand? In the past, cameras were big and heavy.

The cameras were very slow and took a long time to take a photograph.

Here is a picture of an early camera that was big and heavy.

Let's check what we've learned so far about the challenges of early photography.

Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about the challenges of early photography.

Number one, in the past, photography was expensive or cheap? Number two, in the past, cameras were light or heavy? In the past, taking a photograph was very slow or quick? Pause the video and decide which is the correct word to complete the sentences.

In the past, photography was expensive.

In the past, cameras were heavy.

In the past, taking a photo was very slow.

Did you get those right? Well done.

In the past, you had to take the camera film to be developed.

Cameras had become much quicker at taking a photograph, but you still had to wait for the film to be developed.

This involved taking the camera film to a shop or sometimes putting it in the post.

Photographs had to be developed using special liquids and equipment.

Nowadays, with a digital camera, you can take photographs and see the image instantly.

Here is a photograph of photographs being developed in a special room called a dark room.

They use special liquids called chemicals and special equipment to get a photograph developed.

They were then sent back to the owner, or the photographer who had taken the pictures.

Can you see some of the photographs drying? Let's check what we've learned.

Write the missing word.

In the past, chemicals and special equipment were used to photographs.

What word is missing? Develop.

In the past, chemicals and special equipment were used to develop photographs.

Now it's time for our second task.

Sort these words describing photography into the correct column below.

In the past, and now.

Here are the words to sort.

Quick, slow, expensive, big, heavy cameras, camera phones.

Pause the video and see if you can sort the words into the correct column to describe photography in the past and photography now.

Well done, everyone for sorting the words.

Let's see which columns they belong in.

In the past, photography was slow, expensive, with big, heavy cameras.

Nowadays, photography is quick and we have camera phones in our pockets every day.

Did you get all those rights? Well done.

Well done, everyone.

We have learned a lot about the challenges of early photography.

Let's summarise what we've learned.

In the past, photography was different to today.

People used to pay photographers to take a photograph.

But today, anyone can take a photo on their camera phone.

In the past, cameras were big and heavy, and difficult to use.

Today, they're small, light, and easy to use.

In the past, photographs took a long time.

Today, they're quick.

In the past, people had to get photographs developed.

Today, we can see them on a digital screen straight away.

Well done in today's lesson, everyone.

Bye for now.