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1000
Creating the Camera Obscura
The camera obscura was developed in Iraq in the 11th century. The device did not actually record images; rather, it projected them onto a surface shielded from exterior lighting and elements. A camera obscura used a pinhole in a tent to project images, and those images actually projected upside down. While these images could not be recorded, they could be accurately traced. -
Period: 1000 to
Origins
This period in time was largely dictated by the invention of the camera obscura, and images could not yet be recorded. -
Camera Obscura Becomes Small Enough to be Portable
The necessary means of a pinhole projecting an image onto a protected surface was made small enough to be portable in the 17th century. It was also around this time that the first lenses began to appear. These two components are the basis of the modern. They only lacked the ability to record the images. -
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The First Permanent Image
This time period is dominated by creating a not necessarily efficient but consistent means of recording an image. -
Johann Zahn
Johann Zahn was a German writer and scientist. He wrote extensively about the camera obscura, the magic lantern, which was an early type of projector, telescopes, and lenses. He designed some of the first portable camera obscuras, and in 1685, he proposed the first ever design of a reflex camera, which would not actually be invented until the 19th century. -
Joseph Nicephore Niepce Creates First Partially Successful Photograph
He used paper coated with silver chloride. Unfortunately, this photograph no longer exists, and the only way to prove the photo ever existed is through letters that Niepce sent to his sister. -
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Joseph Nicephore Niepce
Joseph Nicephore Niepce was a French inventor. He is widely accepted as the creator of photography. -
Joseph Nicephore Niepce Made first surviving photograph
This photograph was created using heliography, which calls for a glass or metal surface to be coated in Bitumen of Judea. Bitumen of Judea is a light-sensitive asphalt. The asphalt hardens in the brightest areas, and the rest washes away, leaving just the image. The photograph currently resides in the University of Texas-Austin's permanent collection. It is simply a picture of a scene from Niepce's window in Burgundy. -
Niepce dies and leaves all work to Louis Daguerre
Niepce unexpectedly died at the age of 68. All of his works was given to a colleague and fellow Frenchman, Louis Daguerre. -
Daguerre creates Daguerreotype
Just after Niepce's death in 1833, Daguerre began experimenting with exposing images onto metal plates. The process he made became dubbed Daguerreotype. It employed the use of a copper plate that would be coated in silver iodine just before being exposed to light. Originally, Daguerreotype took a long time for the plates to expose until Daguerre realized that mercury fumes could bring the time down to just a few minutes. The final product of this process was announced to the world in 1839. -
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Improving the Camera
This period is dictated by the constant effort spent improving the camera. These efforts were put towards camera size, image quality, capabilities, increased functionality and versatility, and overall presence. This period has not ended, and no end is in sight. -
Emulsion Plates
Emulsion plates were simultaneously invented by Frenchman Gustave Le Gray and Englishman Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. Archer dubbed the process "the collodion process," and it took only 15 minutes. This included coating, sensitizing, and development. The actual exposure of the plates took mere seconds. It required a portable dark room. The most common emulsion plates were ambrotype, meaning they were made of glass plates. Others were made of tintype, meaning the plates were made of tin. -
The Proposal of the RGB filter
James Clerk Maxwell, a Scottish scientist, was the first to propose using an RGB (red, green, blue) filter to create color photos. -
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Color Photography
This time period is ongoing. It is dictated by the effort put forward to produce images with color present. This goal has since shifted into most accurately processing and producing color from the scene. -
First Photo Using RGB Filter, as well as the Invention of the Single-Lens Reflex Camera
Thomas Sutton, an English photographer, was the first to ever take a photo using an RGB filter. This photo was taken using the first ever SLR (single-lens reflex) camera. An SLR camera is a camera that typically uses a mirror and prism system that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. -
The Civil War
Mathew Brady was the photographer most famous for photojournalism during the Civil War. He traveled the front with about 20 assistants. His goal was to depict the horrific reality of the Civil War, so many of his photos are quite gruesome and somber. The only reason that Mathew Brady is not the first photojournalist is that his photos were not published until after the war. -
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SLR Cameras
This time period is ongoing. SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras long reigned the supreme method of camera. When digital cameras came, the same method that SLR cameras use was employed with the only difference being a computer processed image instead of one on film. SLR cameras are now becoming outdated, but they are experiencing a sort of rejuvenation due to SLR enthusiasts. -
Proposing Stacking the RGB filters on Top of Each Other
Louis Ducos du Hauron, a French photographer, first proposed stacking RGB filters on top of each other to get accurate colors. -
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An Evolving Industry
This time period is ongoing. As camera technologies become more advanced and accessible, industries have developed and grown around these devices. -
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War and Photojournalism
This time period is ongoing. As camera technology improves, cameras are seeing more and more uses in military matters. -
Dry Plates
Richard Maddox, an English physician and photomicrographer created a process he deemed the "dry process" after it was discovered the ether from the collodion process was affecting his health. His process is also known as the "gelatin process." It used sensitized cadmium and bromide and silver nitrate coated on glass plates all in a gelatin coating. These plates could be stored and used whenever needed, unlike the previous emulsion plates. This advancement allowed for people to begin innovating. -
The Russo-Turkish War
This war was the first to include some semblance of photojournalism. Roger Fenton, a British photographer, was responsible for most of the photojournalism. He captured around 300 usable large format pictures. Some of these have been stored in galleries, and some were printed in the Illustrated London News. Fenton's main goal was to show the glory of war, so most of the photos were staged to depict only positive aspects of war. -
Creation of Kodak
George Eastman was an American inventor and businessman. He created the company Kodak Eastman and debuted a camera that allowed for 100 pictures to be taken before development was needed. This camera was known for being the easiest camera on the market to use. It used a cylinder of 100 paper exposures that were replaced by plastic nitrocellulose a year later. Once all the exposures were used, the photographer could send those exposures to Kodak and they would develop them. -
Gabriel Lippman Creates First Stable Color Photograph
Gabriel Lippmann was a Franco-Luxembourgish physicist and inventor. In 1891, he projected an image onto a special plate capable of recording detail smaller than wavelengths of visible light. This process, while revolutionary, proved too complex and inefficient. -
First Successful Commercial Venture into Color Photography
The Lumiere brothers, two French photographers and businessman, created the first patent on a plate that allowed for color photography. It was patented in 1903 and later marketed in 1907. Their patent was designed so the photographer either had to take three pictures with the different filters or buy a special lens that could separate the light for all the filters. -
35 mm SLR Developed
35 mm SLR cameras began as prototypes in Russia. They hit the market in 1937, three years later. -
Stacked RGB Filters in the Market
Eastman Kodak released "Kodachrome," a pack of film that had all the RGB filters stacked. -
Creation of Polaroid
Polaroid was founded by Edwin Land in 1937. It started with putting polarizing technology on different products, which ranged from 3D glasses to military equipment. -
World War 2
World War 2 was able to be captured by smaller, more efficient cameras with better image quality. This allowed for a plethora of photojournalists, which created a lot of competition to get the best photos. For this reason, there is an incredibly high number of pictures taken to showcase World War 2. -
Polaroid Creates Their First Camera
The model 95a was put on sale during the Christmas season of 1948. It advertised a picture in a minute. It was a huge hit and rocketed Polaroid into the eye of the public. -
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Instant Photography
This time period is ongoing. The goal of instant photography was originally to capture and print images in a matter of minutes. Instant photography eventually became a feature of digital photography. While the market has largely declined, many still enjoy using traditional instant photography, generally as a novelty. -
Golden Age of Photojournalism
This began during the Vietnam War. Cameras capable of producing color picture and video were becoming portable, meaning they could be taken into the field. Television broadcast was also much more accessible, meaning that these pictures and movies could be seen by the citizens of the United States. Ever since this point, photojournalism in war has been incredibly detailed and realistic, giving citizens a deeper glimpse into war. -
Improving the 35 mm SLR
The through lens light meter was invented in 1960 by Asahi, a popular camera brand now known as Pentax. Around this time, multiple camera companies began to appear, and their consumer grade products were all 35 mm SLR. -
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Compact Cameras
This time period is ongoing. Originally, effort was being put forth to make cameras that were small and simple to use. Now, the goal for compact cameras is to make them so incredibly small and easy to use that they can be integrated into other devices effectively. -
The First Digital Camera
Kodak developed the first digital camera. It was built using spare parts in one of the Kodak facilities. It took 23 seconds to capture a picture and had a .01 megapixel black and white sensor. -
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Digital Cameras
This time period is ongoing. With the creation of processors capable of sensing light and color and producing a digital image, digital photography is now the preferred method. Currently, effort is being put forth to improve the sensors in the cameras, the battery life of the cameras, and the features of the cameras. -
First True Digital Camera
The Fuji Fujix DS-1P is largely considered to be the first true digital camera. This camera contained a memory card that could hold anywhere between 5 and 10 photos. -
The Creation of Compact Cameras
The Dycam Model 1 pioneered the compact camera industry. It was created by the company Dycam. It was a digital camera that could be connected directly to a PC for download. These cameras all came with automatic focusing systems and could calculate shutter speed and aperture. They created the "point and shoot" type of camera. -
First Ever DSLR
The Kodak DCS-100 was the first digital camera to use the SLR method of taking a photo. It cost 20,000 dollars and had 1.3 megapixel sensor. -
The First Camera Phone
The Samsung SCH-V200 cell phone was the first camera-enabled phone on the market. The camera had 0.35 megapixel sensor and could capture up to 20 photos. -
The Fall of Polaroid
Throughout the course of its existence, polaroid spent most of its time making their cameras smaller and more defining. This was only effective until other, more efficient methods with higher quality results were created. Polaroid could not keep up with the industry, and it went bankrupt in 2001. However, companies such as Fujifilm and even a group of former employees that bought the rights to Polaroid keep the business of instant photography alive as a niche product to this day. -
First Mirrorless Camera
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 was the first ever mirrorless digital camera. This type of camera eliminates the need for a mirror by projecting the image directly onto the sensor. This allows it to be more compact and portable, as well as cheaper.
