Since the earliest days, photographers have pursued new methods to capture and interpret the world around them. Photography as a medium cannot be separated from its constant search for innovation, marked by technological advancements, artistic experimentation, and shifts in cultural perception. For collectors, this presents both opportunity and challenge, as adapting to the shifting landscape requires a nuanced understanding of photography’s evolving nature.

Nineteenth century: The Birth of Photography

The 19th century marked the dawn of photography, with milestones like Joseph Nicéphore Niépce's first permanent photograph, "View from the Window at Le Gras" (1826 or 1827), using heliography, which means "sun writing". This innovation revolutionized the ability to permanently document reality. The process of exposing a light-sensitive material to light through a thin hole (aperture) in an obscure box, also called camera obscura, remains fundamentally the same, though the materials and chemicals used have constantly evolved.

View from the Window at Le Gras, **Joseph Nicéphore Niépce**

In the heliography process, the image was created by exposing a pewter plate coated with the bitumen of Judea. After exposure, the plate was washed with a solvent (usually lavender oil or white petroleum) to remove the unexposed bitumen. The areas that had been darkened by light would remain, creating a permanent image.

Louis Daguerre’s introduction of the daguerreotype in 1839 brought photography to the masses, making it accessible and popular. This process produced remarkably detailed images and introduced the concept of photography as an art form. This year is often cited as the official birth of photography.

The daguerreotype process used a sheet of silver-plated copper. The surface was treated with iodine vapor to create a light-sensitive layer of silver iodide. After exposure, the plate was developed using warm mercury vapor. This step caused the latent image to become visible as the mercury adhered to the areas exposed to light, forming a permanent image. The plate was washed in a solution of sodium thiosulfate (commonly known as hypo) to make the image stable and prevent further darkening.

Early photographers aimed to capture landscapes, architecture, and people for historical records. As the medium evolved, so did the technology. The introduction of flexible roll film by George Eastman in the late 19th century democratized photography, allowing amateur photographers to capture everyday moments. This innovation shifted the focus from professional studios to personal expression, paving the way for movements like pictorialism, which emphasized the artistic potential of photography.

As the medium matured, many photographers sought to establish photography as an art form. Pioneers like Alfred Stieglitz and the Photo-Secession movement aimed to elevate photography's status alongside traditional art forms such as painting and sculpture. They experimented with techniques to express personal visions and emotions.

Mending Nets by Alfred Stieglitz. Carbon print, 1894

Twentieth century: Photography expands its horizons

The 20th century brought more breakthroughs with new technologies like color photography and automatic cameras making photography more democratized and diverse.

Before the advent of automatic cameras, photographers had to rely on heavy equipment that required significant technical skill and time. With the compact size and ease of use of automatic cameras, photographers could now travel and capture unposed, candid moments that conveyed genuine emotion. The rise of photojournalism showcased photography’s ability to document and influence public opinion during critical historical events.

Photographers like Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange pushed the boundaries of the medium to convey powerful social messages.

The first widely available color photographic process was Autochrome, introduced by the Lumière brothers in 1907 in France. Similarly to the Lippmann Process which was first demonstrated in 1891 and relied on the interference of light waves, this process used a glass plate coated with a light-sensitive emulsion. In Autochrome process, the plate is coated with microscopic grains of dyed starch, allowing for the capture of color images. Autochrome became popular among amateur photographers and was the dominant color process until the 1930s.

One of the early adopters of Autochrome is the photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue. Autochrome gives a grainy effect, like Pointillism. The photographer, who was also a painter, enjoyed the access to color as a tool to better capture the beauty of the moment, which he tended to complete with his own notes and carnets. In that context, Lartigue’s eagerness to experiment with any new photographic process he could access makes him an impressive representative of the technical progress of photography.

The introduction of Kodachrome film by Eastman Kodak in 1935 marked a significant advancement in color photography. Kodachrome provided rich color saturation and greater stability, becoming the preferred choice for professional photographers and enthusiasts alike.

The development of color negative film in the 1940s, such as Ektachrome and later films, further revolutionized color photography by allowing for more versatile shooting and easier processing.

The shift towards color was met with resistance by artists who aspired to transform photography into an artistic medium. The skeptical attitude of Ansel Adams, midcentury nature photographer nonpareil and master of black-and-white, is exemplary in this regard: Far from viewing Kodachrome as an expansion of expressive possibilities, he felt that it limited them. For him, black-and-white was not merely a formal property; it was a border of sorts, a line drawn between (colorful) reality and the artist’s transformative depiction.

This debate remains relevant today, as technological changes continually redefine what is considered “true” photography.

Digital technology in the late 20th century transformed the landscape yet again. The transition from film to digital cameras expanded creative possibilities. The internet revolutionized distribution and accessibility, enabling photographers to share their work globally, leading to new genres like smartphone photography and social media aesthetics.

Collectors had to adapt as the market shifted from tangible negatives and prints to digital files. This change also introduced new concerns around authenticity, preservation, and the artist’s intention — challenges that continue to reshape the landscape of photography collecting today.

Twenty First century: Innovation Redefined

Today, we are witnessing another evolution, as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality blur the lines between photography, art, and technology, pushing the boundaries of what photography can be. Similar to how photographers have modified negatives or created collages in the past, artists are experimenting with these tools to create new experiences that challenge traditional notions of photography, consistently investigating the concept of representation of reality versus the evocation of feelings.

For collectors, this ongoing innovation demands adaptation and foresight. As artists use AI to generate images or VR to immerse viewers in a new visual experience, the notion of photography as a static art form is challenged.

To conclude, photography is, by definition, an art form intrinsically tied to technology and therefore constantly evolving. Its complex ever-changing nature is precisely what makes it so precious and captivating.

The History of Photography: A Constantly Innovating Art Form