World Photography Day

History of World Photo Day

World photo day is closely connected with the history of the development of photo art and the evolution of photo equipment. The first significant breakthrough in this area was the invention of the daguerreotype.

This happened in France. In 1837, Joseph Nicephore Niepce and Louis Daguerre discovered this new, innovative method. On August 19, their invention was registered with the patent office.

This date is considered photography day in our time. It is known that the first picture taken using this technique was created by Niepce in 1826. Then he explored and improved the invention together with Louis Daguerre. Soon, the creation of daguerreotypes became very popular throughout the world.

The first color photograph was created in 1861. Thomas Sutton created and combined 3 monochrome images using different color filters (green, blue, and red).

The first official world photography day was celebrated on August 19, 2010. 270 photographers from around the world participated in an online photo exhibition, showing their works to people from more than 100 countries.

International Photography Day Theme

by Chin Boon Leng

In honor of the celebration of this day, many photo contests dedicated to a single topic are held. The purpose of these competitions is the exchange of experience and skill, the search for inspiration and new themes for images.

For example, the theme of 2017 was “Understanding Clouds” and the slogan “Be Nice” was the main subject of 2018. The world photography day 2019 theme is dedicated to History. Do not miss your chance to share your photos that correspond to the subject of the holiday.

Celebrations of World Photo Day in Different Countries

Since 2010, many events dedicated to world photography day are held around the world. Their main goal is to unite and motivate people to share experiences, create something new and look for original photo themes.

Photographers of various professional levels demonstrate their works in art galleries in different countries on August 19. Read about how this day is celebrated in different countries.

USA

by Pedro Jarque

Photographic celebrations in the USA are sponsored by Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. Starting from 2017, World Photographic Forum, a competition with valuable prizes for the winners is being organized.

All amateur photographers can take part in it. Works of the participants are reviewed by professional experts. They determine the winners.

Other US photographers, who do not win prizes, have the opportunity to gain new experience. The Forum organizers respect all photographers and their works and encourage more and more people to take part in this event.

France

by Lin Chen

France is considered the founder of the national picture day. Not surprisingly, this country pays particular attention to events dedicated to its celebration.

It hosts many exhibitions and competitions. Their main feature is in the fact that not only professional but also beginner photographers can take part in these competitions.

As a rule, French people spend this day very actively. They combine love to photography with other useful activities. For example, people organize film screenings, sporting events or hiking in the mountains to look for new sources of inspiration.

Great Britain

by Daniel Biber

The celebration of photographer day in the UK is closely connected with various problems of the country's social life. On this day, many exhibitions are held, the main purpose of which is to talk about the most important issues that concern British society.

Photography becomes not only a work of art but also an instrument of social influence here. Besides, many significant photo contests are held here annually too. They take place here not only on August 19 but throughout the year.

For example, the World Photography Awards is one of the most prestigious contests that take place in London. People from all over the world have the right to participate in it and fight for the chance to win a valuable prize.

Sony World Photography Awards is held in January. The best photographers from different countries are awarded prizes and get the opportunity to present their works to the whole world.

India

by Riyas Muhammed

The main focus of the world photography day in India is on the help and support of aspiring photographers. It is noteworthy that many events are held not only on August 19 here but also throughout the year.

Many active, creative people organize exhibitions and workshops to help novice photographers improve their knowledge and skills, as well as demonstrate their works to a wide audience. Many colleges support these initiatives and popularize photo art.

For example, Suresh Sharma, B.K. Agarwal and Prabal Mohanti created a special meeting for students, where they shared their experience and outlooks on the modern art of photography. Every year seminars and summer camps for creative youth are organized in India. Young people can relax and gain new knowledge there. Also, there are many exhibitions dedicated to different charity events throughout the country.

World Photography Day Facts

1. Since 2010 all photographers celebrate the World Photography Day. This date was chosen, when the French government bought the patent for the daguerreotype and released it "open to the whole world".

2. The first known permanent image was created by a complex process called heliography in 1826. The exposure time needed to create that shot was 8 hours.

3. The first digital camera was created in December 1975, by Steve Sasson, who was an Engineer at Eastman Kodak. The camera weighed 8 pound and recorded 0.01 megapixel black and white photos. It took 23 seconds to create the first photograph.

4. Thanks to digital cameras on mobile phones, more than 350 billion photos are now taken worldwide every year.

5. The astronomer Sir John Herschel was the first man who used the word "photograph" in 1839.

6. The largest collection of cameras in the world is held by Dilish Parekh of #Mumbai. He has a collection of 4,425 antique cameras.

7. Today more than 250 billion photos have been uploaded to Facebook, and the average number of photos uploaded each day to Instagram is around 58,000,000 shots.

8. The first selfie was taken back in 1839 by Robert Cornelius. The first digital photo was created in 1957, even before the advent of digital cameras. It was a picture taken originally with a film camera. Russell Kirsch, who worked on computer improvement, scanned the picture and transferred it to a new, digital format for the first time in the world. It was the photo of the Kirsch’s son, and its resolution was only 176 × 176 pixels.

• Learn about the history of photo editing.

How to Celebrate International Photography Day?

There are many ways to spend this day and get a lot of positive emotions. I have prepared the top 10 activities to help you have a really happy world photography day.

1. Visit Interesting Places

In order to travel and look for new interesting places for your photos, it is not necessary to go to other countries and spend a lot of money on traveling. Explore the area near your city.

Walk and take a look at nature and architecture. Think about locations which can complement your photos with new, fresh colors.

This activity will help you expand your creativity and spend your time with benefit. By the way, you can do this not only when world photography day is, but throughout the year.

2. Give a Present to Your Friends and Yourself

Create a festive mood with a small gift in honor of world photography day. Choose something for yourself and your friends.

If you have long dreamed of new equipment, buy something that you need for work. If you don’t have a big budget, choose cheaper things.

There are many wonderful, inexpensive gifts, such as a mug or a vintage film camera.

• Check out recommended gifts for photographers under $100.

3. Start Your Own 365 Project

Starting with day 19 photography, set yourself the goal of taking new photos every day. It will help you improve your skills and work on your mistakes more efficiently.

You may feel tired and want to stop this project at some point. However, later, you will realize how useful this activity is. Monitor your progress and become better every day.

• Check out more creative photography ideas.

4. Create Your Photo Blog

Having your own photo blog is a great opportunity to tell the whole world about your works. Many novice photographers doubt their professionalism and experience and are afraid to start posting their photos. I recommend you to try to do this.

You will see how your self-confidence will increase. Moreover, in this way you can find a team of like-minded people who will look forward to your new photos.

• Check out yummy food photography blogs for inspiration.

5. Edit Your Old Photos

Undoubtedly, each of us has many photos from last year that need to be edited in Photoshop. I do not insist on spending the whole world photo day editing all your photos. Choose just a few pictures created by you last year, which you forgot about.

You will be surprised how good your old works are. You may also be upset that you did not decide to process them earlier.

To improve the process of working on images, use Lightroom presets as well as Lightroom tutorials. They will simplify your life and turn photo post-processing into a fun and easy activity.

6. Organize a Party or Photo Shoot

World photography day is a great occasion to have fun and spend time with friends. Have a party. Show funny photos on the screen.

Organize funny contests for your friends. If you are not a fan of noisy parties, arrange a photoshoot. Take pictures of your friends in a relaxed, positive atmosphere.

Photography day is a holiday, so you should get not only benefit from it but also a lot of positive emotions.

7. Become a Member of Photo Community

Interacting in communities can help you share your experience and learn about many useful things. Take some time to find a community that suits your interests and goals.

Talking about world photography day will be a great occasion to meet other photographers. Use all modern opportunities to search for like-minded people, look for photo groups on Facebook and other social networks.

8. Take a Self Portrait

Almost the whole year we are busy creating photos of other people, taking into account their wishes and ideas. Devote national photo day to yourself. Take a few self-portraits.

Apply the techniques and styles that you have long dreamed of working with. Of course, this activity can take a lot of your time. However, the results will definitely impress you.

• View more unusual and creative self portrait ideas.

9. Create a Collage of Your Best Pictures

Create a collage of your best world photo day photos. You can also choose your best shots from the last year for this purpose.

Use photos of the same theme, or mix different styles. Experiment and find the most successful combinations.

10. Print and Present Your Pictures to Friends

National photography day is a holiday. As you know, everyone should receive pleasant gifts for the holidays. I advise you to print your best works and present them to people closest to you.

In addition, you can make such a gift to your fans or donate them to charity foundations. This is a good way to get a lot of positive emotions and make this day really special.

FREEBIES as a Gift for World Photography Day

Any holiday involves gifts and the world photography day is no exception. I want to share the best marketing templates, actions and presets, selections of invitations and price lists with you on this day.

Free Photoshop Photography Flyer Template

Get a wonderful Photoshop Photography Flyer in just 2 minutes. Enter your email, and I will send you this template absolutely for free.

Free Newborn Photography Pricing Guide

This is a great option for those who need a beautiful price list. You can customize this template according to your needs in a few minutes.

Gentle Wedding Invitations

This classic wedding template will become a great national photo day gift for you. It is a white vertical card decorated with pink flowers. You can choose a font from two available options. This template is created in a classic style and is suitable for any wedding.

Real Estate Photography Business Cards

These stylish, minimalistic business cards are suitable not only for real estate photography but also for many other photo styles. The main thing is to customize them correctly.

PS Texture "Brush Strokes"

This delicate, watercolor texture imitates the summer sky. It is designed in the form of brushstrokes. This texture can create a dramatic effect. It is ideal for portraits and wedding photos.

Free Photoshop Action Fashion "Colors PoP"

Add more vivid and fresh colors to your images using this free Photoshop action. It will make your images sharper and clearer. The color palette is filled with warm colors. This tool is ideal for studio female portraits or wedding photos.

Photoshop Vintage Action "Matte"

Here is another photographer day gift for you. This vintage effect will let you get a matte color filled with warm tones and blurry contrast.

Newborn Photoshop Action "Cool Tonning"

Try to apply this Photoshop action to your baby photos on the national picture day. It will allow you to emphasize important details, making the necessary accents on the skin of the newborn, preserving a natural effect. Soften tones without losing a realistic look.

Wedding Presets "Wedding Classic”

These filters will be a good solution for eliminating lighting flaws in your wedding photos. They will correct contrast, imperfections and improve colors. A yellow can fill your images with warmth and softness. Remember that you should not use them for photos taken in a photo studio.

Free Lightroom Preset Portrait "Contrast"

Try one more photography day present from me. It is ideal for working with pictures taken in a photo studio. This preset will help you adjust the white balance, make the colors brighter and clearer. Moreover, this tool is good for portrait photos, it can smooth the skin tone perfectly.

We encourage you to share with your favorite shot on the official website of this World Photography Day where thousands of photographers across the planet show their best photo with a simple purpose: to share their world with the world.

Today is all about celebrating photography whether people see themselves as amateurs or professionals. Our photo editing service wishes all photographers enjoy the fruits of their labor! Remember, that Fixthephoto retouching company is always ready to help with your post-production work! Any time and any kind of editing. We work until you are satisfied.

We have an affordable price for retouching - from $2 per photo. Deadline is during 24 hours. Our experienced retouchers will turn your photos into magic!

Ann Young

Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more