


These were well-received by critics, with detailed analysis of how well the waves were pictured. John Dillwyn Llewelyn exhibited several early instantaneous pictures of the seaside, in London in 1854 and at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1855. The experimental albumen glass negative showed many waves as an undefined white area in a picture with a relatively high contrast. An albumen seaside view at Boulogne-sur-Mer by Edmond Bacot was a very early example, supposedly made in May 1850. Initially, practitioners were satisfied if they could capture something of the shapes of waves. As spending time at the beach had become a favorite pastime in pioneering countries France and England, seashore views became a very popular topic and the clarity of waves in such pictures illustrated the developing instantaneous techniques very well.

Subjects often reflected popular recreational activities of the time. Much was pioneered not by ambitious fine artists, but by commercial photographers catering to a public that mostly fancied affordable small formats, such as cabinet cards and stereo views. In the 1850s, the earliest examples of "instantaneous photography" were made. A more natural expression in portraiture was considered a priority, while others desired to be able to photograph atmospheric details in landscapes. With the development of instantaneous photography, experimental photographers hoped to capture all the details that had remained blurry or vague in previous photographic techniques. Rather than removing and replacing a lens cap or other cover or screen, mechanical shutters started to be applied for better control of exposure times. During the following decades many kinds of improvements, new processes and faster light-sensitive emulsions were developed. This made it impossible to capture any spontaneity. Special head-rests and arm-rests could be used, and even if a subject managed to stay comfortable under these circumstances, they had to try to keep their facial expression in check if they wanted their features to properly show on the picture. To obtain a reasonably clear image, the camera could not be handheld and the photographer looked through the back of the camera under a black cloth before loading a sensitive plate, while his subjects had to stay totally still. When photography was introduced in 1839, exposure times took several minutes.
