The history of photography as a medium of expression is only about two hundred years old. But the first use of a primitive camera happened in the early 11th century. It was used to study how light could be used to project an image onto a flat surface. But there have been found references to the camera obscura in texts from China around 400 B.C. and in the writings of Aristotle about 330 B.C.

Of course, these primitive ‘cameras’ could do little. The history of photography started coming into its own with the invention of processes using light sensitive chemicals. In 1727, silver salts were found to be sensitive to light.

The history of photography took a great leap forward in the 1800s. Metal plates were exposed to sunlight, then placed in a solvent. Eventually and slowly an image would appear. These first experiments with photographic images required about eight hours of exposure to light and faded quickly.

The daguerreotype process of fixing images onto a sheet of silver-plated copper was the next step in the history of photography. This process still required about 30 minutes of exposure and was considered the first practical process of photography.

A part of the process required polishing the silver and giving it a thin layer of iodine. This made a surface that was sensitive to light. Once the silver sheet was exposed to light for a few minutes, it was bathed in silver chloride. This step in the history of photography produced a lasting image that didn’t fade when exposed to light.

One drawback to the daguerreotype process was its inability reproduce images. Each image was unique.

It was later, around 1841, that the next step in the history of photography came about. An Englishman sensitized paper to light using a silver salt solution. When this paper was exposed to light, a negative image appeared. Contact prints that reversed the dark and light parts of the image could then be made.

Major steps in the history of photography then occurred. First was the dry plate process that replaced the wet plate and the need for multiple and dangerous chemicals.

Rollable film came next in the steps of the history of photography in 1889.

In the 1940s viable color film was introduced in the history of photography. The instant film camera was introduced in 1948. Since then, the steps in the history of photography have been great, culminating in the digital processes of today. Today, you want the best photographers available to take your photos. Pixel Perfect Photography in Amherst, NH, is the perfect place to capture the magic of your moments.