History of Photography
1. Camera Obscura (5th century BCE – 11th century CE)
The word Camera Obscura means “dark room. “Early philosophers like Mozi (China, 5th BCE)
and Aristotle (Greece, 4th BCE) described how light passing through a small hole projected an
inverted image on the opposite wall. Later, in the 11th century, Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) gave a
detailed explanation in his Book of Optics. This was not yet photography—only a projection
device used for viewing and tracing images.
2. Early Experiments with Light-sensitive Materials (18th century)
Scientists noticed that certain substances (like silver salts) darkened when exposed to light.
Johann Heinrich Schulze (1727) demonstrated that silver nitrate darkens when exposed to light.
This discovery laid the foundation of photography.
3. First Photograph – Heliography (1826)
Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first permanent photograph using a pewter plate coated
with bitumen of Judea. The exposure time was 8 hours or more, producing a faint image called
a heliograph.
4. Daguerreotype (1839)
Louis Daguerre, in partnership with Niépce, invented a process where a silver-coated copper
plate was exposed to iodine vapors and developed with mercury fumes. Produced sharp,
detailed images but each photo was unique (no negative/positive system). Announced publicly
in 1839, marking the official birth of photography.
5. Wet Collodion Process (1851)
Invented by Frederick Scott Archer, Glass plates coated with collodion and sensitized with silver
salts produced highly detailed negatives. Reduced exposure time to a few seconds.
6. Dry Plates (1871)
Richard Leach Maddox introduced gelatin dry plates. More convenient than wet plates since
they could be prepared and stored before use. Enabled faster exposures → birth of
instantaneous photography.
8. Roll Film and Kodak (1888):
George Eastman invented roll film and launched the Kodak camera with the slogan: “You press
the button; we do the rest.” This made photography accessible to the public, not just
professionals.
9. 35mm Film & Modern Cameras (1925 onwards)
The Leica camera (Germany,
1925) introduced 35mm film, compact size, and portability. This became the standard for both
professional and amateur photographers.
10. Color Photography
Early experiments began in the mid-19th century. Autochrome (1907) by the Lumière brothers
was the first successful commercial color process. By the 1930s–40s, Kodachrome made color
photography widely available.
11. Digital Revolution (1969–1990s)
1975: First digital camera prototype created by Kodak engineer Steven Sasson.
12. Modern Digital Photography (2000s – Present)
DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, and smartphones with advanced sensors dominate photography
today. Features like AI enhancement, 4K/8K video, HDR, computational photography, and
instant sharing have transformed photography into a mass global practice.
