History of Photography: From the First Photograph to AI: How Technology Changed the Way We See

⏱️Schedule:  Doors 19:15 → Talk 19:30→ Q&A → Mingle

When photography was invented nearly two hundred years ago, it was seen primarily as a technological process: the camera made the image, while the photographer operated the machine. Since then, photography has continuously evolved, transforming not only how we create images but also how we understand art, reality and our own experiences.

From the earliest experiments with light-sensitive materials to film, digital cameras, smartphones and AI, each new technology has brought excitement, scepticism and eventually acceptance—often followed by nostalgia for what came before. This talk traces that journey and explores how photography changed the role of art, the way we document reality, and the way technology mediates what we see.

What you'll discover

• The birth of photography — From Niépce’s early experiments to Daguerre’s breakthrough and the rapid development of the medium.
• The negative changes everything — How the negative-positive process made photographs reproducible and transformed the possibilities of photography.
• Photography and painting — How the camera took on the role of recording reality and opened new possibilities for artists.
• From film to AI — How successive technologies have reshaped the way photographs are created, shared and understood.
• The beautiful lie — Why we romanticise older technologies and how every new medium changes our relationship with reality.

Speaker: Prof. Frank Curry | Professor of Professional Photography at Austin Community College

Photographer and University Professor who has spent more than 30 years teaching photography at Austin Community College in Texas. Throughout his academic career, he has taught subjects ranging from studio photography to the history of the medium, combining academic knowledge with a hands-on and immersive approach to teaching.

Alongside his teaching, Frank has continued to develop his own photographic practice, with individual projects including Nature Mort (2017) and Insecta (2022). He is currently on leave from his teaching position to write Making Light Work, a book exploring photography and its history.