Daguerreotypist
The first camera to be invented that could be reliably used in public was called a daguerreotype, invented and widely used during the mid-1800’s. The people who specialized in capturing and developing photos using this camera were known as Daguerreotypists.
Many important celebrities at the time, including Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, had their portraits taken by these early professionals. The process quickly became popular, until it was slowly made obsolete as cheaper and more efficient cameras and procedures were introduced.