In 1826, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce used a bitumen-coated pewter plate to capture the first permanent photograph, titled 'View from the Window at Le Gras'.

Louis Daguerre developed the daguerreotype process in 1837, which used a silver-coated copper plate to create highly detailed and permanent images.

William Henry Fox Talbot invented the calotype process in 1841, which used a paper negative to produce multiple positive prints.

The wet collodion process, introduced in the 1850s, significantly reduced exposure times compared to earlier methods, making it more practical for capturing moving subjects.

Eugène Atget, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is considered a pioneer of street photography for his extensive documentation of Parisian streets and architecture.

William Henry Jackson, active in the 19th century, is known for his photographs of the American West, including iconic images of Yellowstone National Park.

Ansel Adams, active in the 20th century, is renowned for his black-and-white landscape photographs of the American West, known for their clarity, depth, and emotional impact.

Dorothea Lange, active in the 20th century, is known for her poignant photographs of the Great Depression, particularly her iconic image 'Migrant Mother'.

Lewis Hine, active in the early 20th century, is known for his powerful photographs documenting child labor and working conditions in the United States.

Group f/64, formed in 1932, was a group of photographers based in San Francisco that advocated for sharp focus and the use of small apertures in photography.

Man Ray, active in the early 20th century, is known for his experimental and surrealist photography, often incorporating photomontage and other techniques.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, along with Robert Capa, David Seymour, and George Rodger, co-founded Magnum Photos in 1947, a cooperative of photojournalists dedicated to documenting world events.

Robert Capa, active during World War II, is known for his powerful and moving war photography, capturing the realities of combat and the human cost of war.

Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorsky, active in the early 20th century, is known for his pioneering work in color photography, capturing scenes across the Russian Empire.