Final answer:
The camera's foundational concept predated actual photography development by over two millennia, but it was not until the mid-19th century that practical photography emerged with the introduction of the Daguerreotype process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The basic concept of the camera, which is the camera obscura principle, preceded actual photography by more than two thousand years. The origins can be traced back to ancient Chinese philosopher Mo Ti and other later scholars like Aristotle and Arab scientist Alhazen.
However, it wasn't until the mid-19th century that this principle would be refined into a practical process for capturing and preserving images. Nicéphore Niépce created the first fixed image using a camera, but it wasn't until his associate, Louis Daguerre, developed the Daguerreotype process that photographs could be taken in mere minutes and with clear detail. This process, introduced in 1839, is often marked as the birth of practical photography.