200 Years of Photography

Though Nicéphore Niépce created the world’s first permanent photograph in 1826¹, this invention had been in fruition for many years prior.

Images have been successfully captured; lenses and camera obscuras were well-established foundations for a camera. But the photos faded once exposed to light. A fixer was not yet invented.

Johann Heinrich Schulze experimented with silver nitrate in 1717 — three hundred and nine years ago — when, as he discovered, the chemistry darkened in response to light² (specifically, not heat). John had no way of fixing the image either.

Later, in the 1830s, Henry Fox Talbot³ and Louis Daguerre⁴ both claimed the inventor status by announcing the process and making it publicly available.

As you can see, the invention of photography could be attributed to many names and dates. But the oldest surviving photograph is still Nicéphore’s snapshot out of his window in Le Gras, France, 200 years ago.

This year, I want to celebrate not just the individuals who were privileged and passionate enough to work on this incredible technology, but also the progress in art & science that led us to reinvent it, invite & empower most humans to become photographers, and hold on to the best parts while at it, like shooting film decades past its obsolescence.

In this newsletter: Lifetime GOLD membership giveaway! Analog.Cafe plans for 2026. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!

Sources: 1) “A Beginner’s Guide to Film Photography,” Wikipedia, Harry Ransom Center, Nicéphore Niépce house museum — archived. 2) Wikipedia. 3) Wikipedia. 4) Wikipedia.

Lifetime GOLD membership giveaway!

If you aren’t yet a GOLD subscriber, here’s a little incentive for you: in celebration of the 200-year anniversary of photography, I’m giving away forever-free lifetime membership passes!

To enter, you just need to be an existing member or sign up.

I will announce a random winner on the last Tuesday of every month in 2026. If it’s you, I’ll apply a perpetual 100% discount to your account!

Analog.Cafe plans for 2026.

But the giveaway is not the only thing I’m doing.

A cake is appropriate, but it’s not the time yet. I’ll explain closer to spring/summer 2026.

To start the year, I am working on improving Analog.Cafe tools and data that some of you are already using for your photography.

This January, I worked on finding the best deals on film (not just one-off discounts but global pricing trends) and publicizing them for free, which I hope will help more folks shoot more film for less.

I am now working on a major update to film Q, a negative-inversion app for those who scan at home. My goal is to develop it further so that it no longer requires a Dropbox account and is even more open about how it works. My goal is to make film Q to actively teach film photographers how the inversion process works digitally and how it relates to the analogue printing process.