Daguerotypija

Daguerreotypija is a process of photography invented by French artist Louis Daguerre in 1839. It is considered one of the earliest methods of capturing images on a permanent medium. The process involves the use of a photographic plate, typically made of copper, treated with silver to increase its sensitivity to light. When light from a scene hits the plate, it creates a latent image that can be revealed by exposing the plate to mercury fumes.

The daguerreotypija process was discovered by accident when Daguerre was experimenting with the existing silver-coated copper plates of the François Aragos Collodion photographic process. Initially, the process yielded weak images that were washed out and faded quickly, but further development allowed for more stable and durable plates. The images produced were positive, meaning they were identical to the original scene, with almost no visible grain and great detail.

The daguerreotypija process became popular in the mid-19th century, as it allowed for mass production of photographs, clearing the way for the modern photography industry. Pictures taken using this method often had a sharp, reflective sheen and a fair amount of ghosting, particularly in the shadows. The method remained fairly common until it was eventually replaced by the wet collodion process introduced by William Henry Fox Talbot and others. Despite its outdated nature, daguerreotypija remains notable as one of the first methods used to take photographs, paving the way for future developments in photography.