Final answer:
The earliest photographs, which required long exposure times, often led to blurred images. This blurriness was largely due to the inability to capture movement clearly over the lengthy exposure periods.
Step-by-step explanation:
The earliest photographs required long exposure times which often resulted in blurred images. This was because any movement during the extended periods needed for the image to be exposed would not be sharply captured. As described in the photograph 'View from the Window at Gras' by Joseph Niepce, an exposure period of about 8 hours resulted in a blurry and grainy image due to changing light conditions during the sustained exposure. Furthermore, the issue of permanence was significant, as it was necessary to find a way to prevent continued light exposure from affecting the photograph post-exposure, which was initially a significant challenge, with many images simply turning black over time until hypo was invented to fix this issue.