camera obscura
Camera = Latin for “room”​
Obscura = Latin for “dark”
Camera obscura is an early optical device that essentially projects an image of the outside world onto a flat surface in a darkened space through a small hole. It served as a predecessor to the modern camera as it demonstrated the principle of how light travels in straight lines and can be used to create accurate visual representations of reality. Although this method did not print an image onto a surface, it simply projected it to then be drawn/painted.
pinhole camera
A pinhole camera is a simple and lens less device that captures an image but allowing light to pass through a tiny hole onto a photosensitive surface inside a sealed box. It works on the same principle as the camera obscura, but instead of just projecting the image, it records it - illustrating the basic mechanics of photography - dependent on light, exposure, and time.
A pinhole camera can be made from almost anything that can be made light-tight. such as, a shoebox, tin can, matchbox, or even a pringles tube. As long as there's a small hole on one side for light to enter and a surface opposite it to capture the image, it functions the same - proving that photography, at its basics, relies more on light and patience than expensive equipment.
the darkroom and the printed image
Henry Fox Talbot was a British scientist and inventor who created the first photographic negative in 1835, marking a major breakthrough in the history of photography. Using a process he called the 'calotype', he coated paper with light sensitive chemicals to capture an image that could then be used to make multiple positive prints - introducing the foundational idea of photographic reproduction that shaped modern photography.
the oldest surviving photograph of a real life scene
The oldest surviving photograph of a real life scene is the view from the Window at Le Gras, taken by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826 or 27. Created using a process called heliography and an exposure lasting several hours, it shows the rooftops and landscape outside Niépce's window in France - making it the first successful permanent photograph ever produced.
the daguerreotype
Louis Daguerre was a French artist and inventor best known for creating the daguerreotype, the first publicly announced and commercially successful photographic process. Developed in the late 1830s, the daguerreotype marked a revolutionary moment in visual history - it captured incredibly detailed mirror like images on a silver plated copper sheet treated with light sensitive chemicals. Unlike earlier attempts at photography, Daguerre's process produced sharp, permanent images that didn't fade over time. Announced to the world in 1839, the daguerreotype quickly gained popularity for portraiture and documentation, as it allowed people to see realistic likeness of themselves and their surroundings for the first time. Daguerre's invention not only transformed art and science but also paved the way for modern photography, forever changing how humans record and remember the world.
However, one major limitation of the daguerreotype was that it could not be reproduced. Each image was a unique, one of a kind photograph created directly onto a metal plate, meaning there was no negative to make copies from. While this gave the daguerreotype a precious, almost hand crafted quality, it also restricted its use for mass production or distribution. This drawback eventually led to the development of new photographic processes, such as the calotype by William Henry Fox Talbot, which introduced the idea of making multiple prints from a single negative.
Louis Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot were both pioneers of early photography, but their approaches differed greatly. The daguerreotype created a single, highly detailed image on a polished metal plate, prized for its sharpness and clarity but impossible to reproduce. In contrast, Talbot's calotype used a paper coated with light sensitive chemicals to produce a negative image, from which multiple positive prints could be made. While the calotype's images were a lot softer and less detailed, its reproducibility made it far more practical for artistic and scientific use. Together, Daguerre and Talbot laid the foundation for all future photographic processes.
photograms and Anna Atkins
Anna Atkins was an English botanist and photographer who is often regarded as the first person to create a book illustrated entirely with photographic images. She used a technique called the photogram, made by placing objects directly onto light sensitive paper and exposing it to sunlight to create a silhouette like image. Using the cyanotype process invented by Sir John Herschel, Atkins produced striking blue and white images of seaweeds and plants, which she published in her 1843 book - Photographs of British Algae: cyanotype impressions - unlike the daguerreotype or calotype, photograms did not require a camera - they captured the direct shape and detail of the subject itself. Though simple in method, Atkins' work was revolutionary, combining scientific documentation with artistic beauty, and paving the way for photography as both a tool of study and creative expression.
daylight studio 5x4 camera
Daylight studios and large format 5x4 cameras became important tools in early studio photography, particularly during the 19th century and early 20th centuries. Before electric lighting, photographers relied on natural daylight - often diffused through large glass roofs or north facing windows - to illuminate their subjects evenly. The 5x4 camera, named for its 5 by 4 inch negatives, allowed for extremely sharp, detailed images and precise control over focus and perspective. These cameras were mounted on sturdy tripods and used ground glass screens for composition and focusing, requiring long exposure times and careful setup, Together, daylight studios and 5x4 cameras represented the technical precision and artistry of traditional photography, setting the standard for portraiture and commercial imagery long before portable cameras and artificial lighting became common.
the birth of popular photography
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the kodak camera 1888
the brownie camera 1900
The birth of popular photography began with the invention of the Kodak camera by George Eastman in 1888, which made photography accessible to the general public for the first time. Eastman's slogan - "you press the button, we do the rest", captured the simplicity of his invention - users no longer needed technical knowledge or darkroom skills, as the camera came preloaded with film that could be sent back to kodak for processing and printing. This revolution continued with the introduction of the Brownie camera in 1900, an affordable and portable box camera marketed especially to families and children. Costing only a dollar, the brownie made photography a mainstream pastime, allowing ordinary people to document everyday life and personal memories. These innovations transformed photography from a professional craft into a universal form of expression and storytelling.
post war
instamatic camera
polaroid camera
35mm slr camera
After World War 2, photography became even more accessible and spontaneous with the rise of instamatic, polaroid, and 35mm SLR cameras. Kodak's instamatic, launched in the 1960s, simplified photography through easy to load film cartridges, allowing anyone to take quick, casual photos without technical skill. Around the same time, polaroid revolutionised instant photography with cameras that developed photos within minutes, giving people the thrill of seeing their images appear before their eyes. Meanwhile, 35mm single lens reflex cameras gained popularity among both amateurs and professionals for their versatility, precision, and through the lens viewing. Together, these innovations defined post-war photography - fast, portable, and persona - marking a shift from staged studio portraits to capturing real moments and everyday life as it happened.
Eadweard Muybridge
Eadweard Muybridge was a British photographer and pioneer of motion studies who played a crucial role in the development of both photography and early cinema. Known for his fascination with movement, Muybridge used multiple cameras to capture sequences of motion that the human eye couldn't see on its own. His most iconic work came in 1878 with his series of photographs of a galloping horse, commissioned by Leland Stanford, a wealthy racehorse owner. Using a line of cameras triggered by the horse's movement, Muybridge proved for the first time that all four of a horse's hooves leave the ground simultaneously during a run - something previously debated among artists and scientists. These images, when viewed in sequence, created the illusion of motion and laid the groundwork for motion pictures, cementing Muybridge's legacy as one of photography's most innovative and influential figures.
Man Ray
Man Ray was an American artist and photographer who became a central figure in the dada and surrealist movements. Known for his experimental approach, he blurred the boundaries between art and photography, transforming the medium into a form of creative expression rather than mere documentation. Man Ray is best known for his "rayographs" - camera less images made by placing objects directly onto photosensitive paper and exposing light to them, similar to photograms but with a more abstract, dreamlike quality. His work often explored themes of chance, abstraction, and the unconscious mind, aligning with surrealist ideals. Through this bold innovation and refusal to conform to photographic tradition, man ray helped redefine what photography could be - not just a way of recording reality, but a way of reinventing it.
Harold Edgerton
Harold Edgerton was an American engineer, scientist, and photographer whose ground-breaking work in high speed photography transformed the way we see motion. combining his technical expertise with artistic curiosity, Edgerton developed the electronic flash, or strobe light, which allowed him to capture split second moments invisible to the naked eye. His most famous photographs - such as a bullet piercing an apple or a drop of milk forming a crown - revealed the hidden beauty and precision of motion in everyday events. By freezing these fleeting moments, Edgerton not only advanced scientific understanding but also created images of striking visual impact. his work bridged the gap between science and art, showing that photography could illuminate the unseen and make the invisible visible.