ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

history of photography

Photography is a way to make pictures using special tools called cameras. It all started a long time ago, before you and I were born. People used to draw and paint pictures of what they saw in the world around them. But sometimes, they wanted to take a picture of something just as they saw it, without having to draw it themselves.

The first cameras were big and clunky, and they needed a lot of special things to work. People had to use a special kind of paper and chemicals to make the pictures. But even though they were hard to use, people still thought they were really cool.

One man named Louis Daguerre invented a camera that was easier to use. He called it the Daguerreotype. It used a special piece of metal with chemicals on it to make the picture. He even made a law that said only he could make Daguerreotypes! But eventually, other people started making cameras too.

As time went on, cameras got smaller and easier to use. People could take pictures of their families and friends, of their pets and the places they visited. Photography became a very popular hobby!

People also used photography to document important events in history. They took pictures of wars, protests, and everyday life. Photos helped people remember what things looked like, even when they had been gone for a long time.

Today, we have digital cameras that can take hundreds or even thousands of pictures without using up any special paper or chemicals. We can take pictures of anything we want, at any time. And we can even make changes to the pictures after we take them, using special computer programs.

Photography has come a long way, but it all started with people who wanted to capture the world around them in a way that was easy and accurate.