Did you know that it was a Frenchman who took the very first photograph ever? That was in 1826, or maybe 1827, making this autumn an excellent moment to begin marking the bicentennial. Minister of Culture Rachida Dati has called for a “great and popular festive celebration” to honor the evolution of photography “from daguerrotypes to selfies.” There’ll be plenty of events and exhibitions to look out for, many of them detailed below.  France’s connection with the art of photography dates back to the artform’s earliest beginnings. It was a Frenchman, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, who took the oldest surviving image, a picture of his courtyard, shot in about 1826. He had to give it eight hours of exposure in bright sunshine before a picture emerged, but it was a pioneering moment. Niépce died in obscurity, but fortunately, he had shared his knowledge with his business partner, Louis Daguerre, who went on to develop the photographic process still named after him and to invent the earliest versions of a camera.    Point de vue du Gras, the oldest conserved photograph. Credit: Nicéphore Niépce in 1827. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons In addition, some of the 20th century’s most famous photographers were French: Henri Cartier-Bresson, seen as the father of modern photojournalism, Robert Doisneau who documented everyday life in the streets of Paris, and Robert Capa, the Hungarian exile who settled in Paris and became a legendary war photographer. Today, Paris finds numerous ways to celebrate photography, through museums and outdoor exhibitions, many of which will be playing their part in the bicentennial celebrations. Whether you want to catch one of the major historical retrospectives, enjoy a new contemporary exhibition or simply visit one of the city’s permanent photography galleries, here are some ideas.  Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP), Paris Match covers. Photo: Marian Jones