When Was Photography Invented — A Very Brief History for 2025
Are you currently learning about photography and wondering, "When was photography invented?" The history of photography is truly fascinating and reads like a story straight out of a science-fiction novel turned reality. From the ancient discovery of the camera obscura to the groundbreaking experiments with light-sensitive materials in the 1800s, each development brought humanity closer to capturing moments in time.
In addition to answering, "When was photography invented?", you’ll also discover when photography was popularized, the first photograph ever taken (including the first photograph ever taken of a person), when the first camera was invented and even who invented photography in 1839. Whether you want to learn how to become a photographer or are currently searching for new photography tricks, exploring this helpful guide will hopefully inspire you to continue pursuing your passion.
What Is Photography?
So, what is photography anyway? Photography, at its core, is the art and science of capturing light to create images.
When was photography invented? The answer begins with the Greek roots of the word itself - phōs (light) and graphê (drawing or writing), a term first attributed to British scientist Sir John Herschel in 1839. Essentially, photography combines two disciplines: optics, which focuses light to form an image, and chemistry, which records that image permanently onto a light-sensitive surface.
The journey to answer "When was photography invented" began with humanity's desire to preserve reality. Early artists used drawing and painting to depict the world around them, but tools like the camera obscura took this a step further. The camera obscura — Latin for "dark room" — was a device that projected the reflection of a scene onto a surface inside a dark chamber or box.
Far from the best cameras for photography we have today, these devices were initially used only as aids for drawing and painting. Even some of the best cheap cameras for photography now outperform these early tools in every way.
When Was the First Camera Invented?
The concept of the camera dates back to the Renaissance when artists began using the camera obscura. This device is believed to have harnessed an optical phenomenon known for centuries, possibly even millennia. When light from a brightly lit scene enters a darkened space through a small hole, it projects an inverted image of the scene onto the surface inside.
When was photography invented? The answer lies not with the camera obscura, as it could only display images in real-time and didn't provide a way to record them permanently. Photography as we know it began centuries later with the development of certain chemical processes. The question of when was photography invented is often traced to 1839, when the first widely used photographic method, the daguerreotype, was introduced. This process involved coating a piece of silver-plated copper with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it to light inside a camera, and then fixing the image using mercury vapor. While innovative, daguerreotypes were fragile, required careful handling and were stored in protective cases to preserve the images.
By the mid-20th century, photography evolved significantly. The first single-lens reflex (SLR) camera debuted in 1949, and in 1957, the first digital image was scanned.
When was photography invented as we know it today? Many point to 1975, when Steven Sasson, an engineer at Kodak, invented the first digital camera. However, digital photography only gained mainstream popularity in the 1990s with the rise of digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras and compact point-and-shoot models.
The evolution continued into the 21st century and in 1999, the first mobile phone with a built-in camera was released, making photography more accessible than ever. The first mobile phone with a built-in camera was the Kyocera Visual Phone VP-210, released in May 1999 in Japan. It featured a 0.11-megapixel (110,000 pixels) front-facing camera and could capture and send images via email, making it a pioneer in mobile photography.
Close to 15 years later, we now have smartphones with cameras powerful enough to rival professional equipment.
When Did Photography First Begin?
With the question "When was photography invented?", this naturally leads us to another important question, "When was the first photograph taken?" The origins of photography trace back to the fascinating discovery of the camera obscura mentioned earlier. Ancient thinkers like Mozi and Aristotle were the first to officially describe this optical effect, and by 1490, polymath Leonardo da Vinci was using it to trace images. By the 1700s, camera obscura devices had become common tools for artists looking to capture reality.
But were there photographs in the 1700s? Not quite. The breakthrough came in 1724 when Johann Heinrich Schulze found that silver nitrate darkens when exposed to light. However, his experiments didn’t produce lasting images, and it wasn’t until 1826 that the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first permanent photograph ever taken, using a technique called heliography.
Did photographs exist in the 1800s? Absolutely. Following Niépce’s death, his partner Louis Daguerre refined the process and introduced the daguerreotype in 1833, which became the first practical method of photography. Who invented photography in 1839? It was Daguerre, whose method was so revolutionary that the French government purchased it and made it freely available to the world.
In 1840, Henry Fox Talbot introduced the calotype process, which used paper negatives to make multiple prints. While innovative, Talbot’s licensing fees limited its adoption compared to the daguerreotype. By the 1850s, mobile photo studios emerged, as images had to be developed on-site. As new chemical processes evolved, photography became more accessible.
When was photography popularized? The game-changer came with George Eastman’s invention of roll film in 1885. In 1888, Eastman’s Kodak camera hit the market, preloaded with 100 exposures. After finishing a roll, photographers had to mail the camera back to the Kodak factory, where the film was processed and a new roll was loaded — all for $10 (converted to about $332.10 today). This innovation brought photography to the masses, transforming it from a complex science into an everyday art form. By the late 1800s, photography was no longer just a novelty; it had become a tool for documenting life, telling stories and capturing moments for posterity.
First Photographs Ever Taken
Part of answering the question of when was photography invented involves exploring the first photographs ever taken. Among these, several stand out for their significance, such as the Self-Portrait as a Drowned Man taken in 1840 by Hippolyte Bayard, which is often considered the first staged photograph. Bayard depicted himself as a drowned corpse in protest against being overlooked for his contributions to photography, while Louis Daguerre received recognition for the daguerreotype process.
The Open Door, taken in 1844 by William Henry Fox Talbot, is a masterpiece of early photographic artistry. Featuring a doorway with a broom, lantern and vegetation, Talbot used the calotype process to create a scene that skillfully balanced light and shadow.
When exploring the question "When was photography invented?" many look to the first image of the sun. An image titled First Photograph of the Sun, captured in 1845 by Léon Foucault and Hippolyte Fizeau, marked the dawn of astronomical photography. Using a light-sensitive plate, the duo captured an image of the Sun that revealed intricate details, including sunspots. This groundbreaking achievement opened the door to photographing celestial phenomena, a feat previously unimaginable. These pioneering images showcase how early photographers pushed the boundaries of this timeless medium, transforming photography into a powerful tool for art, science and storytelling.
What Is the Oldest Picture Ever Taken?
Joseph Nicéphore Niépce holds credit for the oldest surviving photograph, View from the Window at Le Gras, taken in 1826. This historic image, widely regarded as the first photograph ever successfully developed, shows the rooftops and landscape outside Niépce’s window. He used a camera obscura to focus the image onto a pewter plate coated with bitumen, a light-sensitive material.
The exposure process was painstakingly slow, often requiring hours to capture enough light. Despite its simplicity, View from the Window at Le Gras marked the beginning of a revolutionary way to document and preserve the world around us. It's the top answer to the question "When was photography invented?"
First Photograph Ever Taken of a Person
When considering the question "When was photography invented?" we usually think about posed pictures in black and white. But the first photo of a person wasn't posed at all. The first photograph ever taken of a person was in 1838 by Louis Daguerre when he took a remarkable picture titled Boulevard du Temple. Taken from a window overlooking a bustling Parisian street, this photograph is historically significant as its the first to include a human figure. Unlike Joseph Nicéphore Niépce’s earlier View from the Window at Le Gras, Daguerre’s groundbreaking daguerreotype process dramatically reduced exposure times to just four to five minutes.
The scene shows buildings and trees lining the street, but the long exposure meant most of the people and carriages moving through the area didn’t appear. However, in one corner, a man stopped to have his boots shined, remaining still long enough to be captured by the camera. This quiet, unintended moment immortalized an everyday interaction, making it a milestone in photographic history.
First Photograph of a Human Face
When was photography invented? The answer helps set the stage for a remarkable milestone in its early history. Around 1843/1844, Philadelphia chemist Robert Cornelius captured what is widely regarded as the first photograph of a human face — or, as we might call it today, the first "selfie." This historic image shows Cornelius staring directly into the camera, capturing what would become a pioneering moment in photography that marked the beginning of personal expression through the lens.
Cornelius didn’t stop there. He also became the first person in the United States to open a photography studio, helping to popularize the art and science of photography across the country. His contributions laid the foundation for a future where portraits became a cherished way to document human identity and history.
When Was Color Photography Invented?
What is photography if not the art of capturing the full spectrum of light? To truly understand its evolution, we must first ask: When was photography invented? This pivotal moment laid the groundwork for all future advancements, including the development of color photography. Interestingly, the earliest "color" photographs weren’t truly in color; they were daguerreotypes and tintypes, two types of photography with hand-painted hues added afterward.
This leads to another important question: When was color photography invented? In 1907, the Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, revolutionized the field of photography with the autochrome process, replacing the labor-intensive techniques that had been used before. Autochrome brought genuine color photography into existence, but these images required special projection or viewing with black light to be appreciated fully.
A major breakthrough came in 1935 when Kodak introduced Kodachrome, the first widely available color film. With Kodachrome, capturing the vibrancy of the world in full, vivid natural color became a reality for professionals and hobbyists. Many wonder when was photography invented in its true color form, and this was the moment that marked a significant change.
In 1968, the potential of color photography reached new heights — literally. Astronaut William Anders, part of NASA’s Apollo 8 mission, used 70mm color film to take Earthrise, the first color photograph of Earth from space. This iconic image transformed how humanity saw its home planet, showcasing the beauty and fragility of Earth in vivid, unforgettable detail.
When was photography invented? This pivotal question takes us back to the origins of a medium that began as a quest to capture and preserve reality. Over time, photography has evolved into a tool for art, storytelling, conservation, and scientific exploration. From the first blurry image taken by Niépce to the stunning Earthrise captured during Apollo 8, photography has transformed how we see the world and ourselves. As it continues to advance to new areas like street photography, the medium remains a powerful way to document history, express creativity, and connect humanity across time and space.
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