Things to Do on World Photography Day
What will you be doing for World Photography Day? There’s good reason to get on board. Some exciting happenings are going on, including some free live presentations from top-notch photographers.
On August 19, 1839, the French government purchased a patent from Louis Daguerre, who had developed his successful photographic process from the seeds sewn by Joseph Nicephore Niepce, who had died six years earlier. France declared it a gift to the world, for anyone to use without cost. Well, almost everyone. The French were still smarting from the Napoleonic Wars, and there had been a long rivalry with Britain reaching back hundreds of years, and so, they excluded Britain from the gift. British photographers had to pay a license fee to use the technique. Fortunately for the British, around the same time, William Henry Fox Talbot had independently developed his own system, and so, the two processes evolved, at first, in parallel.
Fortunately, the world is a much more peace-loving place than it was in the 1800s. Overall, despite some hiccups, we get on together much better than we did 182 years ago. Now, on August 19 every year, to celebrate that idea of international camaraderie on the anniversary of France’s generous sharing of the Daguerreotype, it’s World Photography Day.
Like all art and science, photography is great for bringing together different people from different nations and helping us to realize how similar we all are. I’ve visited, lived, and photographed in different countries and have made friends around the world. Almost everyone I meet just wants to get on with life and enjoy it, living in peace and happiness. Photography on the internet and sites like Fstoppers and others are a great way of helping us achieve that by removing the imaginary barriers between the ordinary people of our planet. World Photography Day highlights that and is a superb means for us to celebrate our common enjoyment of an inclusive activity that means so much to so many of us.
Things You Can Do
Do look for and like others’ photos on various social media platforms, and please take time to post encouraging comments. A few seconds of kindness can make a huge difference to others. That is what the spirit of World Photography Day is about.
To find photos relating to the event and to join in, use the hashtags #PhotographyDay and #WorldPhotographyDay. If you do use hashtags, please may I encourage you to capitalize separate words as I did. It means that screen-readers, used by visually impaired people, can differentiate between the words.
But, most of all, go and take some photographs. Put a few hours aside and try something different. Maybe start a new project or visit a venue you’ve been planning to get to. Better still, try collaborating with other photographers on a common theme. I’ve taken part in a couple of year-long themed collaborations with a group of photographers from around the world. It encouraged me to get out with my camera and improve my photography skills.
Live Photography Events
For the last few years, Olympus UK has been actively celebrating World Photography Day. This year, they have gone the extra mile with a series of live international events for photographers delivered by their staff and ambassadors from around the world. Although Olympus cameras and lenses will feature, you don’t have to be an Olympus user to attend. They have some top-notch photographers who will be sharing stories, techniques, and tips. The events are free.