Photography: Introduction

Photography came about in the late 19th century with the advent of the daguerreotype process. Using a camera obscura, literally a dark room or box with a little hole that permitted light, a photograph could be captured. The daguerreotype process was a lengthy one, as it took several minutes for the exposure; however, objects that remained still could be captured. In 1839 the first photograph of a person was captured.

Over time, the process improved and advanced to what we have today—the first digital camera was available in 1991. This section will introduce you to several photographers that have used this medium and identify how photographs became works of art.