Johann Heinrich Schulz discovered that silver nitrate could capture images when exposed to light, paving the way for the first photographs. Joseph Niepce took the first photo with a camera obscura in 1826, though the 8 hour exposure time and image fading were problematic. Louis Daguerre later invented the daguerreotype process, requiring only 30 minutes of exposure without image fading. Advances like the calotype, collodion process, and dry plates reduced exposure times further and allowed photographs to be developed later or in different locations. These innovations led to technologies like roll film cameras, instant cameras, and digital cameras that made photography widely accessible to the public.