When photography first emerged during the 1830s, it was initially seen by many painters and printmakers as a threat to their livelihood. But it actually offered new opportunities. Photographs could capture details often overlooked by artists providing them with a great resource for their paintings. Because cameras record with such accuracy, artists could be freed from their role of faithfully illustrating nature and had more time to explore their personal visions. Canadian artist George Barker originally intended to be a landscape painter, but spent his entire career as a photographer. Barker settled in Niagara Falls, New York in 1862 and opened a photography studio and souvenir shop. By the mid-1880s, his spectacular images of Niagara Falls were known throughout the world.