Eadweard Muybridge (Biography and Pre-Assignment)

Eadwear Muybridge was an English photographer who took pictures of moving objects, animals, and people. His photographs were also somewhat scientific because he proved theories about motion through series of pictures. In 1872 he was hired by Lelan Stanford to prove that at some point in a horse's gallop, all four feet were off the ground. His images were revolutionary because the captured a clearer aspect of motion. Muybridge also invented the Zoopraxiscope, a device for playing motion pictures; commonly considered the first ever movie projector.



His pictures were very interesting because if you look at one, you see the object at that very second, but the minute you see them all lined up its as if you were watching him jump in person. For that time period, this science and the ability to take such clear, freeze-frame pictures is truly amazing.


For this assignment we have to take freeze-frame, stop-motion pictures. One of the most important things about this assignment is your camera settings. Shutter speed priority (TV) will allow you to take more pictures and capture the movement easier. The white balance has to be turned onto either sunny or cloudy day (these photos need to be taken outside) and your ISO should be started at 400 and changed accordingly to the aperture. Putting your camera on continuous shooting will also allow better motion pictures.