World Photography Day is celebrated every year on 19 August. The day is a celebration of creativity. The day is observed all over the world to celebrated the art, craft, science and history of photography. The World Photography Day originated with the invention of daguerreotype, the first commercially successful photographic process developed by Louis Daguerre.
On August 19, 1839, the French Academy of Sciences announced the invention to the world. The French essayist Roland Barthes describes a photograph in his book, Camera Lucida, as a reproduction of the time that has occurred only once. “The photograph mechanically repeats what could never be repeated existentially.” Photography, as a medium of expression, is limitless. It can capture history and reflect on the present times in equal measure. Moreover, it is one of the few mediums which can convey a feeling instantly and more effectively than words can. A photograph has the ability to capture a place, an emotion, an experience, an idea, and a moment in time. Being a visual medium, it also informs and makes us more aware about the world we live in. Each year, several photography competitions are organised across the world in celebration of this exciting art form. The World Photography Organisation is aiming to raise the level of conversation around photography worldwide, through exhibitions, awards, and competitions.
