The gallery will also provide a detailed historical account of photography from its early days in the mid 19th century right through until the 1960s. The V&A already has historical links to photography being the first museum to collect and display photographs in its gallery.

In fact the V&A’s oldest photography of London’s Parliament Square will also feature in the gallery. Also on display is the famous Curtis Moffat “camera-less” image of a dragonfly taken in 1925 created in collaboration with fellow American photographer Man Ray – both famed for their abstract photography style.

The gallery will be curated every 18 months and there will be further temporary exhibitions of more modern photography on display in the other photo galleries of the V&A.

The first exhibition will focus on British commercial photographer Julia Margaret Cameron who was well known back in the mid 1800s for capturing some of the era’s most famous celebrities.

The V&A will open its new photography gallery to the public on 25 October 2011.

Dr Stulik, one of the scientists who made the discovery said:

“This is something completely new in the history of photography.

“My eureka moment was finding that the plate was not an etched plate – we spent some time not believing what we were seeing.”

Niépc, in creating these plates, experimented through a process he called heliography which used bitumen that hardened when exposed to light. He then washed the plate with the lavender oil which revealed the hardened image. The photographer took the plates to England in 1827 in the hope he would be admitted to the Royal Society of Photography. Sadly due to a tumultuous period at the society he never was admitted and was to die six years later, leaving better known pioneering photographer Louis Daguerre to be heralded as the inventor of photography.

These early images of this pioneer are available for the creative and commercial photographer in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas to see, as they go on display at the National Media Museum in Bradford, West Yorkshire as part of the national collection of photographs.

The RPS runs a regular series of lectures, workshops and exhibitions covering all aspects of photography. It also owns an historic photographic exhibition, which began when Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, recognised the constant technical advancements in photography and began collecting images, which were to form this important collection. Simply known as ‘The Collection’ it is today housed at the National Media Museum in Bradford.

Members can join special interest groups which cover specific areas of photography, such as commercial photography, and are assigned a Region, based on where they live in the UK, or a Chapter if they live overseas. These Regions and Chapters host regular meetings and events and members are encouraged to participate.

There are three levels of distinction a member can achieve. The first level Licentiateship (LRPS) is open to any members and awards competence in practical photography or by passing a special exam. Associateship (ARPS) is the next level and recognises advanced proficiency in photography. The final and highest level, Fellowship (FRPS), is achieved through outstanding contribution to original photographic work.

Muybridge became famous as a photographer in 1868 after his series of iconic landscape photos which he shot in America’s Yosemite Valley. However it was when he was asked to photograph a trotting horse that Muybridge introduced a new fast shutter mechanism for his camera. This shutter could work at speeds of 1/1000th of a second – letting him capture movement that was faster than anything the human eye could see.

Muybridge became an expert on animal movement and regularly lectured on this style of photography. Eventually he would use his zoopraxiscope, a very early version of the movie projector which he also invented, to illustrate his lectures.

Eadweard Muybridge died in 1904 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey – which is where he was also born. The exhibition is on display at Tate Britain until 16 January 2011.

Commercial photographers these days have the luxury of built in shutter speed settings. With shutters as fast as 1/8000th of a second, it lets them capture clear motion movement of their subjects such as rain drops or fast moving animals. However if it were not for the visionary photographer Eadweard Muybridge, perhaps Yorkshire photographers would still be relying on their lens caps too.

Although the photographer did very well from the photograph, he felt that it ruined his career for a time where many companies after its success felt that Elliott would be too expensive to hire. Although technically a good picture, Athena initially turned it down, so he eventually took it to a picture library who eventually sold it on to Athena. However Elliott kept the rights and was able to demand 10% royalties from the picture.

The image has endured over the years to become one of the most famous pictures in the world. Limited edition canvas prints worth £300, measuring 60-80cms and signed and numbered by the Elliott are still around. With his death being announced, it will be interesting to see how these signed copies by this famous lifestyle photographer appreciate in value.

To generate your own iconic photograph, find a creative photographer in Leeds and Yorkshire who combines accurate representation with creative flair to capture a unique and lasting image.

Creative photographers will no longer have to base the performance of their camera on the software that was already installed on it by the manufacturer of the camera and this is why many keen photographers are very excited about this development.

The advantages of this kind of camera are numerous and it will undoubtedly be a highly sought after piece of equipment by not only those involved in commercial photography but by amateur photographers too thanks to the endless opportunities this type of camera provides the user with.

Abilities such as being able to handle various different lighting in just one frame in order to increase the dynamic range of the camera and using still photographs with a high resolution in order to enhance video resolution are currently some of the most popular.

The use of web video and interactive video in commercial photography is increasing in popularity and this type of improvement and development in quality and video possibility would be very significant in commercial photography.

The scientists hope that they will have acquired enough funding within the next twelve months in order for production of this camera to begin. They are excited to see the capabilities those programmers and creative or commercial photographers from Leeds to New York will add and how the boundaries of what is possible in photography will be extended.

One photography exhibition currently on display at the museum is ‘In England’, created by the photographer Don McCullin.

McCullin was born in London in 1935 and is a highly respected commercial photographer. He is well-known for the very powerful and emotive photographs he has taken whilst traveling around the world and has often shared with us his shots of those experiencing war, disasters and other troublesome times. However, he does not only photograph in foreign countries and has also captured a number of images of what life has been like in England during a fifty year period. This collection of photographs explores the differences in England between those who have wealth and those who do not. McCullin’s annoyance at this situation is clearly displayed through his work and it is now possible for you to explore and consider these issues with him by visiting this collection.

This exhibition will run until 27th September 2009 and is proving highly popular. If you are interested in photography, history or social issues then this collection of photographs will likely be of great interest.

The National Media Museum is located in Bradford, close to Leeds in Yorkshire, BD1 1NQ and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

Marc Riboud was sent to the city of Leeds in 1954 to take a selection of photographs of the city. These photographs were to be displayed in Picture Post, a magazine of the time that featured both news and photographs. These images were taken to be part of a series exploring the best and worst British cities and some of the photos Riboud took during this time did actually feature in the magazine. He photographed people in the city doing their normal routines, the different ways in which the communities within the city interacted and also the industrial influence of that time. Many of these photographs were forgotten about for many years but Riboud became a much respected creative and commercial photographer.

When these photographs were finally found again and developed, Riboud traveled back to Leeds to photograph the city once more. His images now explore the similarities and differences between the city in those two very different times and he even visited the exact same places to observe just how much Leeds has changed.

If you live in Leeds, are interested in the city, interested in photography or history you should visit this exhibition and learn about the history and current times of this fantastic city.

Leeds City Museum is located at Millenium Square, Leeds, Yorkshire LS2 8BH and the photography exhibition is open until 28th June 2009.

It was in the Twentieth century that people became more aware of commercial photography and what it had to offer. Improvements in technology began to mean that photographs could be reproduced quickly and also be of a higher quality. During the years before the First World War, any photographs used to advertise a product were generally designed to inform people of the benefits of the product only. Basically, they would provide a short lecture on why this item should be purchased and that was all the information that was given.

However, shortly after this people began to notice how important and effective the element of suggestion could be in this type of advertising. They found that photographs could help make products or services appear more desirable. A more subtle and suggestive approach was then taken towards commercial photography and by 1930, around 80% of illustrated advertisements were using photographs instead of illustrated drawings. This was compared to only 15% of illustrated advertisements using photographs in 1920. Things really began to take off for commercial photography during this time and the roles of art directors, copywriters and psychologists were all created so they could contribute and play their part in the quickly developing area of commercial photography.

Using photography in marketing campaigns has continued and progressed throughout the years branching in to new directions and embracing new technological developments such as interactive video for web and 360 photography. Commercial photography is regarded by any business as a vital part of advertising. Companies in major cities in the UK such as Leeds, are regularly employing commercial photographers to help them market their products and services efficiently and successfully.