# Photography History
Confidence: high
Last verified: 2026-05-22
Generation: ai_assisted


## TL;DR

Photography (from Greek: 'drawing with light') evolved from camera obscura → daguerreotype (1839, Daguerre) → calotype (Talbot, 1841, first negative-positive process) → film (Kodak, 1888, 'you press the button, we do the rest') → color (Autochrome, 1907; Kodachrome, 1935) → digital (first digital camera: Kodak, 1975) → smartphone cameras.

## Core Explanation

Daguerreotype: highly detailed, one-of-a-kind image on silver-plated copper. Cartier-Bresson: 'decisive moment' (1952). Ansel Adams: landscape photography, Zone System for exposure. Digital sensor: CCD (1969) → CMOS. First camera phone: Sharp J-SH04 (2000, Japan). Instagram (2010) democratized photo sharing. Computational photography (iPhone 2016+): multiple frames merged via AI. Smartphones > dedicated cameras for most users.

## Further Reading

- [The History of Photography (Beaumont Newhall)](https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/2278)