Many professions have special days to celebrate their craft. World Photography Day is an annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science, and history of photography. As an extension of our mandate to help photographers succeed, Format is granting 30-day free access to the Masterclass Video Series, “How to run a successful photography business” starting Saturday, August 19, 2023.
What is World Photography Day?
August 19th is marked as World Photography Day. This anniversary began in recognition of the invention of the Daguerreotype, a process devised in 1837 by the French artist and photographer, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre. Daguerre shared his radical image capturing process with the French Academy of Sciences on the 19th day of August in 1839.
The French Academy of Sciences acquired the Daguerre process for 6,000 francs. The process and all details were gifted ‘free to the world’ on August 19, 1839 (at the time, that gift to the world excluded Great Britain, where a patent had been filed by Daguerre’s agent.) With that gift, photography was made accessible to the world and a new artform was born.
World Photography Day came into being in 1991 after revered Indian photographer OP Sharma made the connection to Daguerre’s historic presentation and the incalculable impact this had on the world. As documented in a magazine interview, Sharma pursued the prospect of making the date an occasion for celebration by photographers.
“The idea came to me in 1988 when, over and over again, in various publications that documented the history of photography, I came across this date,” as he was quoted in Harmony – Celebrate Age magazine. “It was recorded as the date on which the then French government announced the invention of the Daguerreotype process of photography as a ‘free gift to the world’. I proposed the idea to several masters and photographers around the world, about 150 of them, including the RPS and the Photographic Society of America (PSA)…by the beginning of 1991, everyone took a unanimous decision and we started celebrating World Photography Day that year.”
The Importance of World Photography Day.
The well-worn saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” has never been more applicable than today. Looking back on the evolution of photography–from hours spent creating and preserving images with complex processes in the 1800’s, to the advent of film, to color film, to digital cameras, to our current reality where camera phones can instantly capture and distribute images around the world–it’s clear that photography conveys a story like no other medium.
According to the World Photography Day website, “Photographs even transcend the passing of time–a photo from a hundred years ago can still be as appreciated now, as it was then. A photo taken tomorrow, can still be just as appreciated by others in a hundred years’ time.” As such, World Photography Day is not just a reflection on the technological advancements we’ve made, but the impact that photography has had on how we capture and understand our human experience.
What is the Format Masterclass Video Series?
As a leading portfolio solution for photographers, Format is invested in helping photographers not only to display their work online, but also to streamline and scale their business. The Format Masterclass video series was developed in collaboration with acclaimed photographer Mike Ford. The lessons in this series are designed to help photographers navigate the business aspects of their practice with tricks of the trade from industry leaders. By helping photographers to streamline their work, it is our hope that they can spend more time creating. In honor of Daguerre’s gift on that auspicious day in 1839, Format is gifting photographers with resources to build and support their craft.
Beginning on World Photography Day, Saturday, August 19, 2023, photographers will be able to view and learn from the Masterclass videos for 30 days at no charge.
The Day. The Craft. The Gift.
Don’t just sit back and let World Photography Day roll past you. The official website encourages photographers to get out there and take your best shots then share them that day. It’s a day to stop and think about the vision and pioneers of photography from the 1800’s. To realize the importance of the first notable images taken during wars, during peace, recording milestones, capturing culture and moments that will never be repeated. Then go out and document your experience by creating images in recognition of this day.
WorldPhotographyDay.com is currently accepting submissions for photos to be featured on World Photography Daily. So, go take some photos, send them in, and scale your business with lessons from the Format Masterclass video series.
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