World Photo Day

On August 19, 1839, in Paris, France, the French government bought the patent for the recently created daguerreotype process, the first practical photographic process, and announced that it would be a gift "free to the world." The anniversary of this event is observed as World Photo Day. It is a time when photographers around the globe—both professional photographers and amateur photography enthusiasts—share their work with the world. Australian photographer Korske Ara came up with the idea for World Photo Day in 2009, with the intent of bringing together local and global communities to celebrate photography. The first World Photo Day took place on August 19, 2010. For the first celebration, a global online gallery was created, where 270 photographs were viewed online by people from over 100 countries.

Some photography predates the daguerreotype. Joseph Nicéphore Niépce's View from the Window at Le Gras, which used the process of heliography, was made in 1826 and was the first permanent photograph. The daguerreotype process was created in 1837 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce and Louis Daguerre and was announced by the French Academy of Sciences on January 9, 1839, before its patent was purchased and released to the public on August 19th. Photography transformed the way the world was viewed, allowing people to be transported to a place without actually going there, or to recall memories or see the faces of their loved ones. It is celebrated today with World Photo Day!

How to Observe World Photo Day

• Share some of your photography work with the world. Post it on social media along with the hashtag #WorldPhotoDay.
• Check out the day's website, and Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages.
• Buy a new camera.
• Become an amateur photographer or get yourself on the path to becoming a professional one.
• Learn more about daguerreotypes.
• Visit a camera or photography museum.
• Read a book about photography.

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