Color photography began in the 1860s, but it took nearly a century before most photographers used it

The first practical color photograph was made in 1861 by physicist James Clerk Maxwell and photographer Thomas Sutton. They used a method called color separation: taking three separate black-and-white photographs through red, green, and blue filters, then projecting them back together through the same filters to recreate color. The image was a tartan ribbon, and it worked — but the process was slow, expensive, and required special equipment that most photographers did not have.

For the next 50 years, color photography remained a laboratory curiosity. Photographers who wanted color images either hand-painted black-and-white prints or used color separation methods that were impractical for everyday work. The real shift came in 1935, when Kodak introduced Kodachrome, the first color film that was straightforward enough for amateur photographers to load into a standard camera. Kodachrome used a single film strip instead of three separate exposures, and the color dyes were added during development, not during shooting. Within a few years, color film became the standard for professional and amateur work.

Key Takeaways

  • James Clerk Maxwell created the first color photograph in 1861 using three black-and-white exposures through colored filters, but the method was too slow for practical use.
  • Color photography remained rare and expensive for 70 years because photographers had to hand-paint prints or use complicated laboratory techniques.
  • Kodachrome film, introduced in 1935, made color photography accessible to ordinary photographers by using a single film strip instead of three separate cameras or exposures.
  • Black-and-white photography remained the standard for newspapers and professional work into the 1960s and 1970s, even after color film was widely available.

How color separation worked in the 1860s

Maxwell and Sutton's method relied on the fact that all colors can be made by mixing red, green, and blue light in different amounts. They placed a red filter over the camera lens, took a photograph, then repeated the process with a green filter and a blue filter. This gave them three separate black-and-white negatives, each recording how much red, green, or blue light was in each part of the scene.

To view the image, they projected the three negatives back onto a screen using three separate projectors, each fitted with the same colored filter it had used during capture. Where all three colors overlapped, the viewer saw white. Where only red and green overlapped, the viewer saw yellow. The brain blended the colored light together and perceived a full-color image. The tartan ribbon photograph from 1861 still exists and still shows recognizable color, though it is faded.

The problem was obvious: you needed three cameras, three lenses, three exposures, and three projectors. The subject had to stay perfectly still for all three shots, or the colors would not line up. Professional photographers occasionally used this method for important work, but it was never going to be practical for everyday photography.

Autochrome and other early color films

In 1907, the Lumière brothers in France introduced Autochrome, the first color film that could be loaded into a standard camera. Instead of taking three separate exposures, Autochrome used a single glass plate coated with millions of tiny colored starch grains — red, green, and blue — mixed with a light-sensitive emulsion. Light passed through the colored grains, and the emulsion recorded how much light came through each color. When you looked at the developed plate against a light source, you saw color.

Autochrome was a breakthrough, but it had serious limits. The film was slow, meaning it needed bright sunlight and long exposures. The image was on glass, which was fragile and heavy. The colors were soft and muted compared to later films. Autochrome plates were expensive — roughly the cost of a week's wages for a skilled worker — so they were used mainly by wealthy amateurs and professional portrait studios. Most photographers continued to shoot black-and-white.

Several other color film processes appeared between 1910 and 1935, including Dufaycolor and Finlay color, but all of them had the same problem: they were slow, expensive, and produced soft colors. Black-and-white photography remained the standard for newspapers, magazines, and professional work.

Kodachrome changed everything in 1935

Kodachrome was different because it stored color information in the film itself rather than in colored grains or filters. The film had three layers of black-and-white emulsion, each sensitive to a different color of light. During development — a complex chemical process that only Kodak could do — color dyes were added to each layer. The photographer did not need to do anything special; they loaded the film, took pictures, and sent it to Kodak for processing.

Kodachrome was faster than Autochrome, which meant it could be used indoors and in lower light. The colors were vivid and stable — Kodachrome slides from the 1940s still show bright, accurate color today. The film came in rolls instead of glass plates, so it was lighter and less fragile. Most importantly, it was affordable enough for amateur photographers to use regularly. Within five years, Kodachrome was the standard color film for serious amateurs and many professionals.

Kodak introduced Ektachrome in 1946, which could be developed by photographers in their own darkrooms instead of being sent to Kodak. This made color photography even more accessible. By the 1950s, color film was common in advertising, fashion, and travel photography, though black-and-white remained standard for newspapers and fine art.

Why black-and-white stayed dominant for decades

Even after Kodachrome made color photography practical, black-and-white remained the standard for newspapers, magazines, and professional photography for another 30 years. There were several reasons. Color film was more expensive than black-and-white film, and color printing was even more expensive. Newspapers could not afford to print in color, so photographers shot black-and-white because that was what editors needed. Black-and-white photography also had a long tradition and a clear aesthetic — photographers had spent 100 years learning how to use light and shadow in black-and-white, and many preferred it.

Color photography also required more skill in the early days. Exposure had to be more precise because color film was less forgiving than black-and-white. Colors could look wrong if the light source was not the right color temperature — a photograph taken under tungsten light would look too orange, while one taken in shade would look too blue. Black-and-white photographers did not have to worry about this.

The shift to color happened gradually. Magazines like National Geographic and Life began using color photographs in the 1940s and 1950s. Television, which became common in the 1960s, was broadcast in color, which made color photography more familiar to the public. By the 1970s, color film was standard for most professional work, though black-and-white remained common in fine art and documentary photography.

Color photography in the digital era

Digital cameras, which became common in the 2000s, made color the default for nearly all photography. Digital sensors capture color information directly, and color images can be displayed on screens or printed without the chemical complexity of film. Black-and-white digital photography is now a choice made for artistic reasons, not a technical necessity.

Film photography has experienced a small revival among amateurs and artists in recent years, and both color and black-and-white film are still manufactured and used. Kodak still makes Kodachrome's successor, Ektachrome, though Kodachrome itself was discontinued in 2009. Fujifilm and other manufacturers also produce color and black-and-white film for photographers who prefer the look and feel of film.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was the first color photograph really from 1861?

Yes. James Clerk Maxwell and Thomas Sutton created a color photograph of a tartan ribbon in 1861 using color separation — three black-and-white exposures through red, green, and blue filters, then projected back together. The original image still exists and still shows recognizable color, though it is faded.

Why did it take so long for color photography to become common?

Early color methods were slow, expensive, and required special equipment or complicated processing. Kodachrome, introduced in 1935, was the first color film that was practical and affordable for regular photographers. Even then, black-and-white remained standard for newspapers and magazines because color printing was expensive.

When did color photography become standard for newspapers?

Most newspapers did not print in color until the 1980s and 1990s, even though color film had been available since the 1930s. Photographers shot black-and-white because that was what editors needed. Television's shift to color in the 1960s and 1970s helped make color photography more familiar to the public.

Can you still buy color film today?

Yes. Kodak, Fujifilm, and other manufacturers still produce color film for 35mm cameras and other formats. Kodachrome was discontinued in 2009, but Ektachrome and other color films remain available, though they are more expensive than they were during the peak of film photography.