Old fashioned photography tips, trends and techniques

Before the time of digital, and film was the only option, you had to get a little more inventive to get the effect or composition you wanted. Below I will go through the clever, strange and just plain creepy ways in which photos have been taken in the past.

Carpet cover-up 

Back in the day, shutter speeds were extremely slow, meaning that the model would have to stay still for a long period of time. It can be difficult nowadays to get the right shot with kids involved but can you image how difficult it was back then to keep them still? So the carpet cover-up was invented! This volved the mother or nanny of the child holding the child or their hand to keep them still, but as an attempt not to be seen in the photo, they would hide under a carpet...Yes its as crazy as it sounds. Check out the photos below:

Good attempt...but doesn't work well..

'Watch the birdie' 

This little device was invented to help the photographer get the attention of the child. When ready to take the shot, the photographer would squeak the device to get the child to look his way.

Photographing the dead

Known as memorial or mourning photography, photographing beloved dead people was the norm for the rich in the 1800's. The photos served as keepsakes for the family, and in some cases may have been the only photograph taken of the deceased. It sounds very creepy to us these days but back then death was much more common in households, particularly in infants. The deceased were often made to look alive by posing them with toys, or in positions as to make it appear they are asleep. Sometimes a rosey tint was added to the photos to make the person look more alive.

Crack a smile!

You may have wondered by victorians are rarely seen smiling in photos. I used to think it was just the fashion back then to seem rather moody. But the actual reason is down to the long shutter speed times. It was easier to look glum then to fake a smile for 30/60 seconds. As shutter speed times increased over the years more people were depicted a little happier.