The History of Photography: From Cave Walls to Timeless Portraits

Since the dawn of time, humans have sought to record their stories. Thousands of years ago, people painted on the walls of caves to convey their experiences and teach their children valuable lessons. As centuries passed, those early depictions gave way to carvings on stone, illustrations on papyrus, and breathtaking paintings on canvas.

My mother was one of those artists who “wrote” the beauty of nature with her brush. Her paintings captured tranquil ponds in forests, delicate flowers, and the serene grace of landscapes. She taught me to see the world through an artist’s eyes, an influence that fuels my passion for photography to this day.

Then, in the 19th century, a revolutionary invention changed the way we document our lives forever—the camera. The first cameras were far from the compact devices we carry today. Early photographic equipment was bulky, with large wooden boxes, brass lenses, and glass plates coated with chemicals. Despite their size and complexity, these devices opened a magical world for people—a still frame capturing their likeness, a single moment of life frozen in time. The first photographs were monochromatic and grainy, but they marked the beginning of an era where memories could be preserved in extraordinary detail.