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World Photography Day

Colorful cartoon of a camera with the word "CHEESE!" above it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capture the moment! Pull out your cell phone and take a great shot of something in your life. Then, share it with others. Today is World Photography Day. Also called World Photo Day, this August 19 holiday celebrates the world of photography and its history. It also commemorates the invention of the daguerreotype and its inventor Louis Daguerre. Daguerreotype is the first photographic medium to capture images.

Promotors of this day encourage us to take a picture of something in our world and share it with others. It can be a picture of anything. Then share the photo with others. Post it on social media. Or keep it private and send it via text or email to family or friends.

The History of Photography

The earliest form of photography was heliography. It was invented by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre was a business partner of Niépce. After the death of Niépce, Daguerre, an artist and physicist, continued to work on photography and invented the Daguerreotype, an early method of capturing images. A daguerreotype captures detailed images on a sheet of copper plate that is covered with a thin layer of silver. It requires 20-30 minutes of exposure. The extensive exposure time makes this photographic process limited to stationary objects. Daguerre patented the process. The French Academy of Science purchased the patent from Daguerre. They bought it for a 6,000 franc/month pension for Daguerre, and a 4,000 franc/month payment to the estate of his partner, Niépce. Then, the Academy gifted it to the world on August 19, 1839.

Decades later, Geroge Eastman perfected the process of roll film with much faster exposure time. A thin layer of silver is applied on an acetate base. The film was much lighter, smaller, and far less costly. He made it easy for people to take pictures. His factories put a roll of film in a camera. People bought the camera with film inside and shot a roll of pictures. Then, they brought the camera in to get the pictures developed. They received their developed pictures and the camera back with a fresh roll of unexposed film inside. Eastman’s motto was “You press the button. We do the rest”. It was a phenomenal success. His company Eastman Kodak went on to great success. Kodak’s camera, film, and developing products and services enjoyed monopoly status for several decades. Frequent innovation and product improvement helped them to remain the “King of the Hill”.

Photography Advances in the 21st Century

Like all businesses, it’s next to impossible to stay on top forever. Toward the turn of the 21st Century, digital photography began to take over the market, rapidly replacing highly profitable film and processing. Digital picture quality improved quickly. And, consumers no longer needed to buy film and processing services. Eastman Kodak Company was unable and unwilling to abandon its highly profitable film and processing business for low-margin cameras and equipment. One might say their management was also in denial of the ultimate digital direction of the market. As a result, Kodak’s fall into bankruptcy was inevitable.

In the early to mid-2000s, cell phone technology, and innovation put cameras into cell phones. Cell phones became smaller. Data storage in them drastically improved. Social media, texting, apps, and the internet evolved, making it simple to manage, manipulate, and share pictures taken on cell phones. Gone are the paper photo prints, photo albums, and photographic slides. Hundreds and thousands of pictures can be stored in home computers, small thumb drives, and cell phones. And, transferring images from “me to you” anywhere in the world is accomplished at the push of a button.

Where will photography evolve next?  While we may not know the answer to this question, we can be certain it will evolve.

World Photo Day is destined to become a great day. Capture the moment, by taking plenty of pictures of people and things you see today.

How to Celebrate World Photography Day

Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate World Photography Day:

  • Following the spirit of this day, take a picture of anything in your life and share it.
  • Take a selfie with a friend.
  • Photography companies can hold a picture contest, complete with prizes.
  • Bring back good memories. Open up your picture albums and online picture files and go through them.
  • Have a photo contest with family and friends. 
  • On World Photo Day, make a backup of all your pictures. You wouldn’t want to lose them.
  • Learn more about photography and the inventors who advanced the technology.

 

History and Origin of World Photography Day

In 1988, Indian photographer OP Sharma conceived the idea of World Photography Day. Over the next three years, Sharma proposed the idea to over 150 photographers around the world who readily agreed. In 1991 World Photography Day became a reality. 

We celebrate this holiday on August 19, as on this date in 1839, the French Academy of Science gifted the daguerreotype to the world.

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