Consider what you have learned about early camera equipment. Which statement BEST explains why Robert Fenton took pictures of the field after battle?

(1 point)

Early cameras could only capture very still scenes.

The earliest cameras took only black and white photographs.

Photography was still new, so the uses of photography were not clear.

Robert Fenton was inspired by Civil War photographer Matthew Brady

Photography was still new, so the uses of photography were not clear.

The statement that BEST explains why Robert Fenton took pictures of the field after battle is: "Photography was still new, so the uses of photography were not clear."

To determine the best statement that explains why Robert Fenton took pictures of the field after battle, we need to consider the context of early camera equipment. The given options are:

1. Early cameras could only capture very still scenes.
2. The earliest cameras took only black and white photographs.
3. Photography was still new, so the uses of photography were not clear.
4. Robert Fenton was inspired by Civil War photographer Matthew Brady.

To get the answer, we should eliminate options that are not directly related to the question. Option 1 does not specify why Robert Fenton took pictures of the field after the battle, but rather talks about the limitations of early cameras. Option 2 is also not entirely relevant as it only pertains to the early capability of cameras to capture black and white images. Option 4 suggests that Fenton was inspired by another photographer, but it does not explain why he took the pictures.

Option 3, which states that photography was still new, so the uses of photography were not clear, seems to be the most reasonable explanation. During the early stages of photography, people were still exploring its potential uses and applications. Therefore, it is likely that Fenton took pictures of the field after the battle to document and explore the possibilities of photography in capturing scenes of historic events.

Thus, the best statement that explains why Robert Fenton took pictures of the field after the battle is: "Photography was still new, so the uses of photography were not clear."