In "Aloft ...with balloon and
camera", Robert Doty depicts the emergence of hot air balloons and aerial
photography. Before reading this text I was unaware of how early people were
able to go off into the air. When I realized it was in 1783 when the first air
balloon was successfully set off into air I was intrigued. The enthralling part
of the reading was seeing how the aerial photography developed and progressed
because of the hot air balloons. Nadar was the first photographer who attempted
to take aerial photos from the balloon in 1858. At that time he was ridiculed
as others did not believe that he would be successful. Even after several
failed attempts he continued to try and eventually proved that it was possible.
Aerial photography then continued to progress until it was perfected with new
inventions such as the Gelatin dry-plate.
“Flying” via hot air balloon is still very popular. As humans we
have this fascination with looking at the earth from above which, I believe,
will be a timeless sentiment. Prior to hot air balloons, Birds Eye views
portrayed the artist’s perception of the view. With
the hot air balloons and aerial photography the view from above the ground became
more factual. The images people saw where not based on others perception but on
what the actual view was. This is what fascinated people like Nadar. As a
frequent user of Google maps, I appreciate the different views at hand
instantly. These aerial views are still very popular.
I too am intrigued at how early man took to the skies. What also intrigues me is that it took so long for photography to be developed, pun noted. It must have been bad for business not to be able to take aerial photographs from the balloons for so long—you give the dates. It is interesting that you quote the word “flying,” because it could give the impression that hot-air balloons do not fly but do something else—maybe hover or blimp or jellyfish. I agree that looking at the Earth groveling beneath us, groveling to us, its skyward masters, will be a timeless sentiment, to take the words precisely out of your mouth. I agree that the aerial photos taken from the balloons caused the world to become more “factual,” as the cultures define it. We even use videos and photos as likely facts and evidence in our jury systems, to go off on a tangent. I agree that even if one’s culture wouldn’t define said photos as “factual” depictions, they would still be very useful and in sync with the human body’s optics and indoctrination not even by people but by the body’s own design and by the world’s layout.
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