Skip to main content

Illuminating photography: From camera obscura to camera phone - Eva Timothy

464,910 Views

32,931 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

The origins of the cameras we use today were invented in the 19th century. Or were they? A millenia before, Arab scientist Alhazen was using the camera obscura to duplicate images, with Leonardo da Vinci following suit 500 years later and major innovations beginning in the 19th century. Eva Timothy tracks the trajectory from the most rudimentary cameras to the ubiquity of them today.

Additional Resources for you to Explore

Eva Timothy is an accomplished photographer and works not only to capture the beauty of the world around but also educates about photography.
Photography Blogger is a daily curated collection of photographs based on themes or subject matter.
National Geographic, known for its incredible photographers, exhibits a daily picture that they deem The Photo of the Day. See it here.
Here's a World History of Photography.
What scientific thinkers and achievements have led to vast improvements in optics over the centuries? Discover the fascinating ways that our understanding of light informs the world in which we live. See Eva Timothy's lesson here.
Here's a playlist of all the TEDTalks about photography.
SFMOMA has been collecting and exhibiting photographs since the museum's founding in 1935 and is dedicated to the examination of the medium in all its forms. A major symposium on the current state of the field, held at SFMOMA in April 2010, was the first in a series of public programs on photography. This page archives the conversation begun in the Is Photography Over? symposium. It includes video of the entire program, complete, unedited transcripts of the proceedings, and the original position statements submitted by the participants in advance of the symposium.

Next Section »

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Director Andy London
  • Educator Eva Timothy
  • Narrator Eva Timothy

More from Inventions that Shape History