Early photography began in the early 19th century, with the invention of the first permanent photographic process by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826. He created a method called heliography, which used a light-sensitive material to capture images on a metal plate. This marked the beginning of capturing real-life scenes, although the process was slow and required long exposure times. In 1839, Louis Daguerre introduced the daguerreotype, a more refined technique that produced clearer images in a shorter time. This innovation made photography more accessible and popular, leading to the establishment of studios and the rise of portrait photography, forever changing how people documented their lives.