On August 19, 1839, inventor Louis Daguerre stood before the Académie des Sciences and the Académie des Beaux-Arts with his and his late partner Nicéphore Niépce‘s revolutionary invention, the Daguerreotype. Crowds of Parisians spilled into the courtyard of the establishment to get a glimpse of the enchanting process. When Daguerre completed his demonstration, the French government, impressed by the remarkable invention, bought the patent rights, only to “gift” it to the world. It wasn’t over a century later, in 1991, when Indian photographer OP Sharma—one of only five Indians chosen as honorary fellows by the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) in the UK—led a crusade to recognize and celebrate the day as World Photography Day.
The lead image is courtesy of Brian Smith. All images used with permission.
While we celebrate our extensive journey, The Phoblographer thought it would be best to shine a light on the modern pioneering wonder of photography: the CMOS sensor. This technology, invented by Eric R. Fossum in the early 1990s for NASA, helped us achieve diminutive and efficient cameras. Today, CMOS sensors are used in over 6 billion cameras produced yearly, including smartphones. So, this World Photography Day, we aim to illustrate our technological fortune through our in-depth interaction with six exceptional photographers and their journey from analog to digital.
Ira Block And A New World
In this 35-year-long career, renowned photographer and educator Ira Block has used his camera to chronicle the transformations in traditions and practices worldwide. Best known for his thought-provoking series published in National Geographic, Block has witnessed the transition from film to digital firsthand. “Most of those years I spent traveling the world for National Geographic magazine, shooting on transparency films like Kodachrome and Fujichrome,” he says. One of his most recurring challenges has been “shooting contrasty and low light situations,” and often, he “had to use lighting which always changed the experience.”
When questioned about the differences since transitioning to a digital camera, Block elaborates: “Digital photography has opened a new world for me to photograph and document. I sometimes wonder how (I) created images working at ISO 100.”
The photograph above illustrates Block’s point as he shares an anecdote about his experiences with a digital camera. “I was in Viñales, Cuba, and out on what I like to call ‘dawn patrol’ – shooting before the sun comes up – to capture a place’s awakening,” he says. What caught his attention was the white horse and the owner of a tobacco farm. Strapped with a Sony a7RV and 24-70 GM II, Ira began to make images at “ISO 2500” and a shutter speed of 1/160 at F4. “This photo would have been impossible to capture before digital on color transparency film, and if you ‘pushed’ the ISO on negative film, the image would have fallen apart,” he elaborates. The photographer notes that when shooting with high ISOs on a CMOS sensor, he feels “very comfortable about image quality, which is amazing.”
You can see Ira Block’s work on his website or follow his Instagram page @irablockphoto.
Phil Penman And His Greater Coverage of Stories
With more than 25 years of experience in the medium, photographer Phil Penman has chronicled prominent occurrences within his beloved metropolis of New York. Penman’s photographs weave not just historical moments but also those that are culturally and politically significant and possess the ability to transform the world. For instance, his documentation of the dreaded September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
As someone whose work is so critical to our social fabric, Penman’s device has to be at par with his momentum. “I was a news photographer who grew up shooting film. We would have to race in our cars back to the office so we could wire our images or develop and scan on-site,” Penman says to The Phoblographer. Upon the invention of the digital camera, things transformed drastically for the industry. “It revolutionized our industry with wiring images to the papers happening within seconds of taking a picture,” he notes. “It was a game-changer.”
Although he misses the darkroom, the price of processing and printing the image makes it a “thing of the past” to him. Penman currently uses a Leica Monochrome, which features a CMOS sensor designed specifically for black-and-white photography. “I’m able to shoot more than I ever would have back in the day with film. This allows for more projects and greater coverage of stories I would not have been able to do in the past,” he says. Moreover, the transfer has been so easy with the new cameras that he can now “share” his image with the world “within seconds through the power of social media.”
Sharing his experience on World Photography Day about the joy of employing the CMOS sensor, Penman reveals how he captured the moody image. “This particular image was taken using a Leica M11 with a 35mm Summilux lens. The fog did most of the work, creating the atmosphere,” Penman states. However, what made it easy for him to shoot so easily was the “dynamic range given by the sensor,” which allowed him to “easily pull out any information in the shadows.” While impressed by the sensor, Penman adds, “It always amazes me just how much information these sensors give us. “I have had images that (were) completely black before, and I pulled them up 5 stops and saw no loss.” Penman also comments that “this was not true of the first Nikon D1” he once used. However, he drew up this example to illustrate how far the technology has come. “If I had done the same back then, it would have looked a grainy mess.” A true marvel indeed.
You can see Phil Penman’s work on his website or follow his Instagram page @philpenman.
Brian Smith And His Wait For Film Like Colors
Winner of prestigious accolades like the Pulitzer Prize and the World Press Photo, Brian Smith’s three-decade career has taken him to six continents. His photographs, which he first began to take for Life magazine at the age of 20, have now been published and exhibited at the Library of Congress, Aperture Gallery, The New York Times Magazine, Elle, and more. For someone whose photographs can influence society profoundly, it’s clear how crucial Smith’s gear must be. “Fifteen years ago, Sony asked me what’s most important to me in a camera. My answer was simple. Give me a great sensor and a great lens,” Smith told us in an exclusive interview.
When CCD sensors were first introduced, it “provided a good transition phase between film and digital,” says Smith. Some of its features included great details in shadow, “but you had to be very cautious not (to) clip highlights.” In instances when CCD was used to shoot in low light, Smith unveils the grueling challenges one faced. “They (CCD sensors) matched the low-light performance of film but never came close to the high ISO performance of today’s CMOS sensors.” He adds how the latter is “pure science fiction to anyone who ever pushed Ektachrome 160 Tungsten two stops to ISO 640 when shooting indoor sports in a tungsten-lit arena.”
As a Sony Artisan of Imagery, Smith had the opportunity to take a pre-production unit of the Sony a7R to Haiti, which changed his experience. “In my mind, CMOS sensors finally destroyed the last arguments for film,” the photojournalist said, adding how he put the device “through the paces.” He wanted to see how this camera stacked up against the Fujichrome 100, and he was pleasantly surprised. Despite the camera’s omission of phase detection AF and Eye-AF features, its performance didn’t disappoint him. “Its 36MP CMOS sensor delivered the exceptional sharpness, detail, and rich film-like color that I’d been waiting for,” he remarks, sharing the photograph to the right to demonstrate his sentiment. Since then, CMOS sensors have been evolving rapidly in every way. An advantage—according to Smith—is the “look” of RAW images one can easily achieve in post-production. “I no longer have to show up to a shoot with multiple flavors of film,” he jests.
You can view Brian Smith’s work on his website or follow his Instagram page @briansmithphoto.
Tony Gale And His Quest to Make Images That Were Impossible Before
Portrait photographer Tony Gale has won considerable honors for his soulful photographs. Since the 2000s, Gale has been working in NYC, and during these fruitful years, he has built a portfolio ranging from advertising to editorial and corporate portraiture. A Sony Artisan of Imagery and a Manfrotto Ambassador, Gale’s work has inspired the younger generation. Speaking to us, Gale reveals how he has been photographing since the film era and how photography has reached new stages of expansion. “I started in photography before digital was a thing. When digital cameras came along, it was mostly CCD sensors,” Gale comments, talking about the switch from film to digital. “Then, when CMOS became widespread in the early 2000s,” he elaborates, “it changed everything.”
When questioned why CMOS was more promising than CCD, Gale recounts that the sensor performed like an enchantment. “CMOS sensors have just gotten better and better, with more dynamic range, better light sensitivity, so much better than film ever was,” he adds. According to The National Inventors Hall of Fame, CMOS sensors were not only revered for their miniature dimensions but also for their noise reduction abilities. “We can make photographs now that would have been impossible not too long ago,” indicates Gale.
The photographer exhibits his point by sharing one of his photographs with us. Had the photograph been captured on film (Konica 3200 being the fastest), Gale said it would have “huge amounts of grain,” while “the stars would have been mostly lost in the grain.” Similarly, CCD digital sensors “were also terrible at high ISOs.” Fortunately, this photograph of the comet was captured at 3200 ISO with his Sony camera, and “the grain is barely noticeable.” It also captured the hearts of judges of the Siena International Photo Awards, gradually earning a title there.
You can see Tony Gale’s work on his website or follow his Instagram page @tonygalephoto.
Ian Pettigrew And His Nostalgic Device
A man of many talents, Ian Pettigrew has been an art director for 25 years and a professional portrait and commercial photographer for 15. The former’s experience helped him shape his visual narrative, which earned him renowned accolades from all around the world. Today, Pettigrew’s work has graced the pages of publications such as Vogue, People magazine, HuffPost, Women’s Health, BuzzFeed, and more. Like other photographers on our World Photography Day feature list, Pettigrew loves CCD sensors “despite their flaws.” His first full-frame camera was the Leica M9, which had a distinctive ‘je ne sais quoi.’ For him, “Leica pop, the beautiful colors, and that fantastic DOF that certain lenses gave” were the selling points or, as American musician Eddie Van Halen calls it, it allowed him to “chase the tone.”
For years, Pettigrew was able to capture what he envisioned. “I was chasing a look that was in my head and wasn’t possible for me in another digital camera,” he told us. Pettigrew notes how M9 “changed the game” for him and even helped to “boost” his confidence and work. But as with any technology, there comes a point when the things you love stop keeping up with the paces of time. “As much as I loved that camera, I was outgrowing it,” Pettigrew comments, adding that he chose to buy “a 5DMII” to meet the challenges of his work. “But, I always miss the M9, even with the corroded sensor issues,” he reminisces. The photograph to the right was created with a CCD sensor.
Today, with most cameras—Leica, Sony, Canon, and Nikon—now featuring CMOS sensors, the difference in image quality, according to Pettigrew, “is minimal.” He adds, “I think of CMOS sensors like four-cylinder engines… Who cares?” Speaking about the company that makes the most CMOS sense, Sony, Pettigrew explains, “There’s really just nothing special about them. CCD was special but flawed. (Today) it comes down to more the software.” The latter point is indeed true, as one’s editing and preset use allow one to achieve a distinctive look in their portfolio.
You can see Ian Pettigrew’s work on his website or follow his Instagram page @ianpett.
Jen Rozenbaum And Her Small, Powerful Camera
In 2008, after a miscarriage, Jen Rozenbaum took up photography to come to terms with her grief and embark on a journey of healing. A year later, when she began to teach herself the basics of photography, she was asked to assist her friend in a boudoir shoot. That day changed her life, with Rozenbaum beginning her own business in the genre a little later. Today, she is an inspiration, having brought together hundreds of women’s stories in a beautifully curated photo book.
Speaking about her gear, she comments how digital photography “has been incredible” while highlighting how the new sensor has impacted various parts of her life. “In my portrait studio, it allows me to shoot faster and has decreased editing time significantly,” explains Rozenbaum about her process. The positive sentiments were also echoed when she spoke about photography for herself: “In my (personal) life, it has allowed me to carry a small but powerful camera. That makes it so much easier to take (photos) while traveling” and every day.
During her recent trip to Utah and Canyonlands National Park, Rozenbaum made multiple images, each with distinct lighting. And in all her adventures, her trusted Nikon Z 30 performed wonders. For instance, the image above was captured after the sunrise. “I was in awe of the layering and beautiful shades of grey mother nature provided. The CMOS sensor allowed me to capture all the subtleties in shapes, colors, and textures,” Rozenbaum elaborates. Similarly, during another such shoot during sunrise, the photographer captured the orange sky set against the silhouette of a farm. “Because I was shooting with a mirrorless camera, I was able to see in real-time what it looked like. This was so helpful because the sky and light were changing so quickly,” she adds.
You can see Jen Rozenbaum’s work on her website or follow her Instagram page @jenrozenbaum.
With these diverse stories, we hope you now appreciate our journey and progress in photography. Perhaps, in the future, when new innovations emerge, we’ll look back at CMOS technology and reminisce about its influence in more meaningful ways.