Photo by AngieStar Photo
In 1839, the world was enlightened with the invention of Photography, and today marks its 175th anniversary. In celebration, people from around the world are sharing some of their favorite photos, old and new, to honor this very beautiful and important art form. Since its discovery, photos have told stories, marked history, celebrated special occasions, and much more. Photography has become so popular in the current world of social media that millions of photos are shared everyday. From daguerreotype, film, to digital and everything in between, photography has revolutionized the way we see the world… even the universe.
For some brief history, the coining of the word “Photography” has been attributed in 1839 to Sir John Herschel based on the Greek words “phos”, (genitive: ph?tós) meaning “light”, and “graphê”, meaning “drawing, writing”, and together meaning “drawing with light”. After years of experimenting in Paris, scholars Nicéphore Niépce and Louis Daguerre led the way to the invention of photography. And finally, on January 7th, 1839, this first complete practical photographic process was announced by the French government as a gift “Free to the World”. Sequentially, the first complete instructions to the process were published on August 19th, 1839. Since then, the process has spread and evolved into new forms all over the world.
To commemorate this grand day, www.worldphotoday.org/ wants help in creating a photo book titled, World Photo Day 360, compiling a collection of photography captured by photography lovers across the globe. Get involved with World Photo Day 2014 and share a small part of your world here. Also be sure to follow them on Instagram, where they share daily photos and photo challenges for all to participate.
Check out the following non-profit video dedicated to world photography day, celebrated each year on August 19th.
[vimeo id=”47773073″]
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” –Ansel Adams (American photographer, 1902-1984)