The History of Photography

Many people believe the history of photography to be a short one. They simply aren’t aware that people were taking photographs long before the invention of modern day cameras and smart phones.

In fact, when considering the history of photography, you have to go all the way back to 330 BC. That’s when Aristotle wrote about what was called the camera obscura. The actual use of this early camera didn’t come about until somewhere around 1000 AD.

In the beginning of the history of photography, the camera obscura was designed to study how we see. Alhazen, an Arab scholar, used the technique to show how light could be used to produce an image on a flat surface.

Around the middle of the 1600s, the history of photography took another step forward with the invention of well-crafted lenses. At this time, the forerunner of projectors called magic lanterns were able to project images onto larger surfaces. These images were typically painted on glass slides. These magic lanterns provided a great deal of entertainment to people in that time.

The history of photography took another great leap in 1827 when the first photographic image was taken with a camera obscura. These were called heliographs or sun prints and took up to eight hours of exposure to create an image. Even then, these images faded quickly.

In 1839, the process was finally shortened to only taking 30 minutes of exposure to create an image.

Tintypes were invented in 1856. This event in the history of photography was another great step forward but had some drawbacks. A major one had to do with the emulsion used drying very quickly. This meant developing the photograph quickly, requiring any photographer to carry a portable dark room complete with dangerous chemicals in fragile glass containers.

1879 was another milestone. This was the time of the invention of the dry plate process in photography. The plates used then were coated with a gelatin rather than liquid, allowing for storage of several weeks before developing.

The first film to be flexible and able to be rolled was another great event in the history of photography. This came about in 1889 and made the invention of the box camera possible.

The 35mm film used in early film-making was invented in 1913.

Instant photography came about in 1948 and marketed in the Land Camera 95.

By the mid-1980s, Canon marketed the first digital camera. From there, the history of photography comes to now. Everyone can take good photographs with their phones now. What an idea! Where the industry will go now is anyone’s guess.

Even though everyone can make photos with their cameras, you want the best photographers available. Pixel Perfect Photography in Amherst, NH, is the perfect place to capture the magic of your moments. Karen and Kiera are waiting to do their best for you. Call 603-672-8780 to schedule a time to get together and plan how they will meet your needs. They can also give you good information about storing your photos in the best way to preserve them.