Even though cameras may appear neutral, history reveals another story. The film used in analog cameras was exposed using a special chemical composition to bring out desired colors. To calibrate the cameras to make sure those desired colors were well represented, a standard was created. This standard became known as the Shirley card, which was originally an image of a white woman used to establish the ideal composition and exposure settings. The consequence of calibrating film cameras using a light-skinned woman was that the techniques developed did not work as well for people with darker skin.
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