EOTO 1 What's The Big Deal With Cameras?

 

I'm sure that everyone knows what a camera is as basically all of us use one on a daily basis, but have you ever wondered where they come from and when they were actually created? That is a question I'm sure many people have since cameras and photography have become very mainstream. They are used in today's society to the extent that people find it unusual when someone is not taking pictures of almost everything that they see. This is especially so if someone is at a tourist destination, but not taking pictures. The very first type of camera created was the camera Obscura made in the 4th century BC. This projected an image of a scene onto a wall or flat surface. However, it was not as commonly used at that point in time compared to the Renaissance era in 1502 AD. 

The first ever photograph that was taken was in 1826 by Nicephore Niepce. This picture captured was of the view of a window at Le Gras, France. He was captivated by the concept of light and actually used the camera Obsucura! He used the wooden camera Obscura box and through that he was able to create permanent images on the surface which he then referred to heliography. These pictures were quite blurry as it was the first picture ever taken so there was not a lot to go off of.      

In 1839, the Daguerreotype was a popular metal plate that truly opened up the fascination surrounding art, photography, and cameras. It was created by Louis Daguerre in France. He was actually Nicephore Niepce's partner and had continued inventing even after Niepce's death in 1833. He was enthralled with the idea of creating a simple device that captured images and made them permanent. This camera had a plate with a thin film of silver iodide that was exposed to light for a mere couple of minutes, or even hours. This technological invention had become so popular that the French Government purchased the rights to the design in exchange for a life pension for Daguerre and his son. 

  

In 1888, the first Kodak camera was created by George Eastman of Rochester, New York. This camera allowed people to simply push a button and have a picture come out. Eastman took the world by storm with all of his camera and photography inventions even after the Kodak. He created various types of film both in rolls and sheets, as well as cameras for beginners, camera enthusiasts, and professional photographers. 

After learning about everything regarding the first cameras as well as the first photographs, it truly is so eye-opening to see how much cameras have advanced throughout history. Before, owning a camera and being able to take pictures showed one's wealth but now, everywhere you go you see someone with either an actual photography camera or a phone with a camera. Sharing pictures with our friends and loved ones is so cherished by millions if not billions of people all around the world and we owe it all to these inventors. By creating these, they have all given us the base foundation of a piece of technology that has truly changed our world and helped us keep memories forever.  

https://historycooperative.org/first-camera-the-history-of-cameras/