5 Facts , About Cameras.br Since the advent of smartphones, everyone has a camera in their pocket.br But the camera has had a long history leading up to the popularity of social media and art photography.br Here are some facts about cameras in honor of National Camera Day.br Mozi, a Chinese philosopher, was the br first person to write down a description br of the camera obscura.br The camera obscura and pinhole cameras were widely popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, but images could only be preserved if they were traced.br The first design for a br handheld reflex camera br came in 1685, but was not br invented until 150 years later.br Joseph Nicéphore Niépce is credited as the creator of photography after producing the first partially successful photograph in 1816.