Final answer:
Photography originated from the discovery of the camera obscura and the observation of light-altered substances. Key inventions, such as the Daguerreotype process, improved exposure times and image quality. Technological advancements later led to the invention of motion pictures and photographic film.
Step-by-step explanation:
Photography has its roots in antiquity with the discovery of the camera obscura and the observation that some substances are visibly altered by light. In the 1820s, Nicéphore Niépce succeeded in fixing an image, but it required long exposure times and produced crude results. Louis Daguerre later developed the Daguerreotype process, which improved exposure times and produced clear, detailed images. This process was commercially introduced in 1839, marking the birth of practical photography. Technological advancements throughout the nineteenth century led to the invention of motion pictures and the development of photographic film by George Eastman.