Author(s): DAVIES ALAN

Photography

Australia's first photographers were opportunistic entrepreneurs, who wielded cumbersome equipment and charged a guinea for each sitter, even in group portraits! Today they flaunt the latest electronic marvels and manipulate megapixels, but the captivating quality of photography remains. From daguerreotypes to digital imagery, the development of photography in Australia is both a reflection and an intriguing record of technological, social and artistic change over 150 years. Alan Davies charts the journey of the camera in Australia with authority and insight. His focus on varied photographic forms including portraits, postcards, panoramic views, family holiday snaps and documentary shots demonstrates the breadth of vision made possible through this ever-evolving medium.