The history of photography told in a clever, animated video

 

 

Even if you know something about the history of photography, this clever TEDEducation video is worth a look. Called "Illuminating photography: From camera obscura to camera phone," it's narrated by photographer and educator Eva Timothy and provides a fun and accessible journey from photography's beginnings to the current digital explosion. (We'd actually like to see more about digital imaging in the clip but that's a minor quibble.)

The educational aspect of the video goes down easy thanks to Timothy's upbeat voice-over and the whimsical animation by London Squared Productions.

Photographic milestones touched on in the video include Arab scientist Alhazen's development of the "camera obscura"; the competition between inventors Henry Fox Talbot and Louis Daguerre; and the eventual popularization of the portable camera by George Eastman.

The video is about 4:30 minutes long but if you want a quicker refresher course, check out this 76-second clip, titled "A Short History of Photography."

(Via Reddit)