In 1839, the French government commissioned photographer Joseph Nic?phore Ni?pce to create a camera that could capture the first permanent image. Ni?pce succeeded after eight years of experimentation, and the result was the World’s first photograph. The photograph, titled View from the Window at Le Gras, was taken from Ni?pce?s estate in the Burgundy region of France.
The date of the photograph?s creation is unknown, but it is believed to have been taken sometime between 1826 and 1829.
In the years that followed, Ni?pce continued to experiment with photography, but it was not until 1835 that he partnered with Louis Daguerre, another French photographer, that the technology began to advance.
The two men developed the daguerreotype, a process that allowed for the creation of detailed, precise images. The daguerreotype was announced to the world in 1839, the same year that Ni?pce?s photograph was taken.
Although the daguerreotype was a major advance in photography, it was not without its drawbacks. The process was expensive and time-consuming, and the images were delicate and difficult to reproduce.
It wasn?t until the 1850s that photography began to be used for commercial purposes. English photographer Roger Fenton was commissioned by the BrIt’sh government to photograph the Crimean War, and his work helped to popularize photography as a means of news reporting.
In the years that followed, photography continued to evolve and advance. New processes and techniques were developed, and cameras became smaller and more portable.
Today, photography is ubiquitous. With the advent of digital cameras and smartphones, anyone can be a photographer. And with social media, anyone can share their photographs with the world.
World Photography Day is celebrated on August 19, the anniversary of the first public exhibition of photographs, which was held in Paris in 1839. On this day, photographers around the world take to social media to share their work and to celebrate the art of photography.
