Travel photography

Travel photography has its roots in the photographic documentation of the scientific explorations of the 19th century (see also Scientific Photography, Expedition ( expedition ) and travel ). She served even then the adherence of landscapes, plants, animals, and people and their customs and painting has largely been replaced for this purpose. In particular, a special documentation character, she was granted ( see Theory of Photography ). In some cases, however, actually had to be taken from the idealized representations of 19th century painter farewell.

In technical terms, the development of the negative-positive process has (for example, wet collodion process in 1851 ) helped by the given thereby possibility of simple reproduction and continuously increased light sensitivity of the material of photography as a medium of documentation breakthrough. However, at that time the photographer had to make the photographic plates directly in front of their exposure and develop immediately. Particularly moving objects could be taken only conditionally. Many images seem therefore made ​​and contrived. The effort to photography was reduced only by the development of the film and ever-smaller cameras ( see also Chronology of Photography ).

The lower the technical effort required to photograph was, the more the travel photography has developed into a medium of the masses. Together with the advent of mass tourism was the verbildlichte memory of your own holiday for many people a main motive for confrontation with the photo. Today, photography is more popular than travel memories by digital photography as well as the " mobile photography" also photographically ignorant opened.