UCL Discovery

Abstract

In the early twenty-first century we are so familiar with the photograph and technically reproduced imagery, that to imagine a world without these visuals is hard. The invention of photography was such an astonishing achievement in the mid nineteenth century that perhaps its only imaginable equivalent might be the first human steps taken on the moon's surface and robotic vehicles landing on Mars. Photography now relates to everything within society and art. In portraiture, the impact of photography is huge; the correlation between 'reality' and 'likeness' as perceived within the format of the photograph is undeniable. This combination of illusion and real life, guarantees its continuing success as a medium for this purpose, whether digital, moving or other lens based methods of making portraits.