Hand Cameras and the Move From Plates to Film
The end of the 19th century brought technical advances that would change the very nature of what was possible with black and white photography. Photographers were able to combine portable devices with processes that could reliably be used in the field. Hand held cameras began to emerge in the 1890’s with the introduction of the single lens reflex camera, which moved all of the machinery within the body of the camera. Popularity of handhelds soared among professionals and hobbyists with the introduction of the first handheld Leica camera in 1924. Hand cameras allowed not only for a wider range of subject selection, including candid and action shots, but also increased output by allowing a photographer to take a camera along to venues more often. The 1920’s saw the move from plate processes in photography to the widespread use of photographic film. Until the 1890's, images had been collected on glass plates coated with a chemical emulsion. Plate technology advanced in the before the turn of the century with the emergence of more reliable and portable dry plates, simplifying the image collection experience. Dry plates were still somewhat fragile and bulky, especially for field work. The density of plates also required relatively long exposure times to imprint the image onto the glass. Chemically coated films for black and white photography were introduced as early as the 1890’s. Techonology advanced greatly in the 1920’s to produce roll film that was a fraction of the bulk of plates, was easily transportable, and required much less light to produce an image, making them more suitable for indoor and motion photography. Black and white photography became an endeavor that could be as easily and reliably be executed in field conditions as in the studio.

Lenses and Shutter Speeds
The turn of the century saw the introduction of lenses that dramatically increased the amount of light entering the body of the camera. This allowed for the use of high speed shutters to capture action shots on small negatives that could be enlarged. Advances in lens technology continued into the 1920’s, when cameras with shutter speeds as fast as 1/1000 of a second were introduced . Fast shutters moved photography to the world of natural light and real time conditions. Artificial illumination and elaborate staging were no longer required. Gone were the days when a dense cloud of smoke from the flashpot was needed to produce an indoor shot. The 1925 invention of the flashbulb, which could be timed automatically with the shutter, allowed for photographs in all types of settings. The flash was noiseless and smokeless and pictures could be taken without staging. The work of a photographer in 1900 was marked by an armload of equipment, a puff of smoke and the sound of combustion. By 1930, photographers could work with subjects only mildly aware of their presence.