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Jan 1, 1490
First use of the camera obscura
Leonardo Di Vinci first used the camera obscura. These were, at first, large rooms with a single hole in one wall that would allow images to be projected from that hole onto the opposite wall. These images with upside down and inverted. They were first used for sketching. Over time, however, they shrank from room to boxes, and thus was the basic premise for the camera. Source: History of Photography notes from Photojournalism. -
First observation of light sensitive chemicals
Johann Heinrich Schulze observed that silver salts darkened with exposure to light but faded quickly, so the idea of photos did not occur. Source: History of Photography notes from Photojournalism. -
Sun pictures
Thomas Wedgewood coated a piece of leather with silver salts and exposed it, with a leaf on top to sunlight. The sihouette was the first form of photography, although it faded very quickly. Source: History of Photography notes from Photojournalism. -
Niepce's experimentation with bitumen
Joseph Nicephore Niepce experimented with bitumen to try to fix photos in a permanent way. Source: History of Photography notes from Photojournalism. -
First permanent photo
Joseph Nicephore Niepce discovered that bitumen was more sensitive to light and put it in the camera obscura, with the lens facing out to his estate and exposed it for 8 hours. This is the first formal photo in history. Source: History of Photography notes from Photojournalism. -
Invention of Daguerrotypes
Louis Daguerre discovered that silver iodide was much more sensitive to light than bitumen. The use of a copper plate and washing the iodide with water and salt fixed the image for a longer time. Soon enough exposure time was down to less than a minute. Source: History of Photography notes from Photojournalism. Source: History of Photography notes from Photojournalism. -
Invention of Calotypes
William Henry Fox Talbot coated paper with silver chloride and produced photos with the tone reversed. He would then place the negatives against another sheet of paper to create the positive. This formed the basis of film. Source: History of Photography notes from Photojournalism. -
First Kodak camera.
First Kodak camera is sold for $25. This is the first camera to be made for the average person. Up until the Kodak, cameras were pricey and only used by professionals. This camera allowed photography to be more spread from professional portfolios to the average person taking photos of their families or homes. Source: History of Photography notes from Photojournalism. -
First Kodak Brownie
The first Kodak Brownie is sold for $1.00. It is the cheapest, most readily available camera on the market. This brought around an entire generation of photographers. Photographs are now used for personal purpose and not just commercial. Many great names in photography started out as children with Brownies. Source: History of Photography notes from Photojournalism.
