Imagine a world where capturing a moment meant days of painstaking preparation, where moving images were nothing more than a distant dream. This is a infographics on how humanity transformed from passive observers to creators of virtual worlds.

The Birth of Photography 

In 1826, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, using a process called heliography, created the world’s first permanent photograph from his window in Le Gras, France. The image, now barely visible, took eight hours to expose. This marks the first time humans could truly capture reality with mechanical precision.

Motion Captured

By 1878, Eadweard Muybridge revolutionized our understanding of motion. Commissioned to settle a bet about whether a horse’s hooves leave the ground during a gallop, he sets up a series of cameras. The resulting photographic sequence becomes a breakthrough in understanding movement, laying the groundwork for cinema.

The First Movie Projection

December 28, 1895. The Lumière Brothers transform Paris with their first public film screening at the Grand Café on Boulevard des Capucines. The audiences become terrified as a train appears to approach them on screen – this moment marks the birth of modern cinema.

Image meets Sound 

“The Jazz Singer” premieres in 1927, introducing synchronized sound to movies. Movies have a deep transformation from silent pantomimes. Voices, music, and real-world sounds bring new life into the visual medium, creating a more immersive storytelling experience.

The dawn of the Web

1991 marks the publication of the first website. The World Wide Web becomes a global canvas, democratizing image creation and sharing. No longer are images confined to professional studios or television networks – everyone becomes a potential creator.

The Smartphone Revolution

In 2007, the iPhone was launched. Suddenly, high-quality cameras fit in our pockets. Every moment becomes potentially memorable, shareable, immortal. Social media platforms transform how we consume and create visual content.

Virtual Reality Emerges

By 2016, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive bring virtual reality into mainstream consciousness. No longer are we merely viewers or photographers – we become creators of entire worlds, able to step inside the images we create.

Over the last 200 years, humanity’s journey with image creation has evolved from single, eight-hour exposures to instantaneous, immersive experiences, a testament to our relentless innovation and deep-seated desire to capture, share, and ultimately live within our visual imagination.