The Birth Of Photography

Photography as a medium is very young, having only been around for approximately 200 years. In this short space of time, techniques and technologies relative to photography have dramatically evolved. There are however, significant fundamentals and discoveries pre-dating the physical camera that still contribute to modern photography as it is recognised today.

Early Camera Obscura

In approximately the year 340BC, Greek philosopher, Aristotle realized and applied the principal of the Camera Obscura. Although there is no way yet to capture the image, it is likely that early Camera Obscuras in the renaissance period were used for capturing likeness in drawings and paintings, rather than intended as photographic equipment.

The discovery of silver nitrate in the early 1200’s made possible; the development of film technology, and human success in manipulating light using glass (Telescopes, Magnifying Glass, Spectacles, ect.) was the foundation for the development of lens elements.

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce

Yet, evidence suggests that it wasn’t until the 19^th century when people began to improve techniques and acquire an interest in photography. The earliest surviving photograph dates back to 1826 as the result of much experimentation at the hands of French inventor; Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.

Today widely recognized as history’s first photographer; Niépce’s was born in 1765 and his early life was spent fleeing his home in Burgundy during the French revolution, and serving time as a staff officer in the French army, before illness forced his resignation. It wasn’t until 1801 when Niépce returned to his family beet farm in Châlons that he and his brother Claude designed the world first internal combustion engine.

With his mind set on scientific research, Niépce began to experiment with photographic techniques. Using a light sensitive bitumen derivative, coated on a polished pewter plate, inside a Camera Obscura; he exposed for approximately 8 hours, developing and fixing the plate in a lavender oil solution.

The resulting image, View from the Window at Le Gras, still exists to this day, earning Niépce’s exposure the title of history’s first ‘fixed light image’ and it is today considered the worlds first example of a photograph.

 

View from the Window at Le Gras - 1826

After partnering with a young Louis Daguerre in 1829, Niépce continued his research until he tragically died four years later, financially ruined by the frivolous spending of his mad brother Claude; so much so that his grave was funded by the French government.

It is an unfortunate truth that during his life Joseph Nicéphore Niépce did not receive recognition befitting a person who played such a dramatic role in the invention of photography. It is true, however, that among photographers today; Niépce’s works, although limited, are very highly regarded and celebrated for the contribution they have had to the history of image making.