Early photographers captured black and white images using a camera obscura, a device that projects an image onto a light-sensitive surface. They used a variety of materials, such as glass plates and film, coated with silver nitrate or other light-sensitive chemicals. When exposed to light, these materials would react and create an image. The image was then developed using chemicals, such as potassium bromide and sodium thiosulfate, which would react with the silver nitrate and fix the image in place. The resulting image was a negative, which could be used to make prints.
Black and white photography was the standard for many years, but in the early 1960s, color photography became more popular with the introduction of Instamatic cameras produced by Eastman Kodak. These cameras were cheap and affordable, making color film and processing accessible to the general public. Despite this, black and white photography continued to be popular among photographers and is still used today as an artistic medium. Some photographers prefer the timeless and classic look of black and white images, while others use it to draw attention to specific elements of a scene by emphasizing contrast and texture.