Precisely the genesis of the first camera-like device is still obscure. It is yet to be known which was the first device for photography used in market. However, some evidences from the history of photography suggests that one of the earliest camera-device to be used for photography was the “Obscura”. This device became quite popular during the Renaissance age, when it was used by the artists to trace the image that it projected through a tiny hole.
The beginning of photography
It was not until the 1800’s that ‘photography’ emerged as a term. Modern photography is believed to begin from the 1820’s. The first fixed image was produced in 1826, by a French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. However, the picture required eight hours of exposure. So there was need for a better process. Niépce joined hands with another Frenchmen Louis Jacques Daguerre, also experimenting with images. They started experimenting with silver compounds.
Niépce died a few years later, but Daguerre continued with his work to which culminated the evolution of the daguerreotype in 1839. His new device decreased the exposure time considerably and the images were at a lesser risk to disappear.
Daguerre’s picture was captured in a silver coated sheet of copper that used positive image. His photograph was entitled as ”The Artist’s Studio”, and was genuinely delicate and difficult to re-create.
First negative glass image
By 1839 the artists and scientists had discovered other photographic imaging techniques, which they used in their profession. By 1840, William Henry Fox Talbot had invented the process known as Calotype. This process consisted of a light-sensitive paper and produced negative images, which was contradictory to Daguerre’s process.
However, Talbot’s process needed long hours of exposure and could only be employed to inanimate objects. This limited the usage of Talbot’s process to the architecture and landscape.
Another scientist who made significant contributions to the new method was John Herschel. He invented the cyanotype process, which is commonly known as ”blueprint”. Herschel was the first person to use the words “photography”, “negative” and “positive”. He is also credited with the discovery of sodium thiosulphate solution.
He informed Talbot and Daguerre that his discovery could be used to fix the pictures and make them permanent. In late 1839, he also produced the first glass negative
By the end of 1840, more sophisticated techniques of photography were discovered. With improvements in the procedure the exposure time began to reduce. Moreover, during this time the rage for portraits began to creep into the rich class who can afford these.
George Eastman’s work
In 1884, George Eastman developed the technology of films, which replaced the photograph plates and changed the course of history of photography forever. It is the film technology, which is used in cameras till today. George Eastman discovered a mass-produced box camera to be used in a much more practical type of film in 1889. The base of the film was flexible and hard to break. The base of the film was produced from cellulose nitrate and coated with emulsions. One of the greatest advantages of this new film was that it could be conveniently rolled.
The mass produced box camera was made possible by a man named George Eastman when he began to use a much more practical type of film in 1889. The base of the film was flexible and hard to break, and one of the foremost advantages of this new film was the fact that it could be conveniently rolled.
Eastman first created a camera made out of wood and was filled with film in the factory. Once the photographer finished shooting with the film inside the camera, the camera was send back to the Kodak factory for printing and development. Since then the advances have taken photography a long way.
Digital photography
The recent and greatest addition to the history of photography is the digital photography. With digital photography emerging to the scene, the process of photography has become easier than ever before. In the digital process you don’t need to buy films neither is there any need for developing pictures in the dark room. Now, you have a superior technology, which can provide you crystal clear images that you could never imagine before.












Aranya Phratet says :
History says that George Eastman was sued and settled for $16 million due to patent infringement. Whether he intentionally or unintentionally ripped of anyone is to be determined. The flexible film base was invented by Rev. Hannibal Goodwin. But, the lawsuit may have been brought by the Lumiere Brothers. By the time the lawsuit was settled Eastman had sold so much product that it mattered little.
Jul 01 , 2007 , 6:47 pmMatthew Galager says :
Very interesting history. My “Photo Concepts” class — a course that specifically was not a photography course; taught by a teacher who just as specifically wasn’t a professor; for a school which was specifically more interested in profits than academic — had us read a book that [uselessly] discussed the history of photography, but it wasn’t as informative nor well written. In fact, there couldn’t have been too much more wrong with the textbook… hence needing to browse around online to learn anything useful.
Incidently, while browsing around I found a very fast and useful search engine called ArtRetriever.com that provided some great information about Photography at http://www.artretriever.com/topics/Photography
Jul 01 , 2007 , 1:29 pm