Everything in the world has its beginning. Everything is constantly growing and improving. The history of photography developed gradually as well. It is directly related to the photographic equipment evolution (cameras, lenses, flashes, etc.). This article is a kind of a visual timeline of photographic history.
In 1826, the Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce surprised many people by taking the first photograph in the world. It was created using the “camera obscura” on a tin plate covered with a thin layer of Syrian asphalt. The oldest photograph in existence depicted a view from the Niépce’s workshop window. It was created within 8 hours, continuously being in direct sunlight.
Creation of a Modern Photo Paper
This event also occupies an important place in the history of photo manipulation. In 1879, J. Swan opened the first production of special gelatin-based halogen-silver photo paper, which has become the main element in the production of photo paper and is still used in industrial manufacturing today.
By this time, workers involved in the production of photographic prints could already slightly adjust the tonality and contrast of the image.
The First Camera of the Iconic Company Leica
In 1911, Oskar Barnack started working in the German company Leitz. He made a huge contribution to the further development of the history of photo editing. Thanks to his efforts and research, in 1925, a new type of small-format camera, which worked on a standard film, went on sale.
It was called Leica I (the name came from the merging of two words – “Leitz” and “Camera”).