The Transformative Journey of Photography

Photography's roots extend back to the 5th century B.C. when Chinese philosopher Mo Ti first observed the pinhole image. He described the inverted image formation in a darkened room, predating the camera obscura's documented evidence.

The oldest surviving photograph is 'View from the Window at Le Gras,' taken by Nicéphore Niépce in 1826 or 1827. It required an eight-hour exposure and was captured using a process called heliography.

Early cameras had shutter speeds of several hours, which evolved to minutes, then to fractions of a second by the late 19th century. This innovation was pivotal in capturing motion and fleeting moments in history.

The first color photograph was taken by James Clerk Maxwell in 1861. It was a simple tartan ribbon, but the groundbreaking technique involved photographing it three times with red, green, and blue filters, then combining the images.

Photographic film was born in the 1880s with George Eastman's introduction of roll film. This innovation led to the first Kodak camera, which simplified photography, making it accessible to the general public.

The first true digital camera was developed by Kodak engineer Steven Sasson in 1975. It weighed 8 pounds, had a 0.01-megapixel resolution, and took 23 seconds to capture its first image.

Studies suggest that capturing moments can actually impair memory. Known as the 'photo-taking impairment effect,' it's theorized that people pay less attention and rely on the camera to remember the scene for them.