10 reasons why Photography is important in today’s life

It has never been easier to take a picture than in our days. Photography comes naturally to you when in good company or in front of a beautiful view. It is that simple that sometimes we forget why we are doing it, what those images are meant for. World Photography Day is a reminder of how special this invention is and how important making the most of it is every day, everywhere.

Why do we celebrate Photography Day?

Photography is the combined magic between art and science that humanity had seized throughout all its history. The great desire of capturing reality on stills eventually saw the light in France, thanks to Nicéphore Niépce, in 1827, when the inventor took the very first photograph with eight hours of exposure on camera. We would need to wait twelve years and Niépce’s collaboration with Louis Daguerre to reduce the exposition time to 15 minutes. The daguerreotype (named after Daguerre), a copper plate coated with silver, exposed to iodine vapor before being exposed to light, marked the revolutionary beginning of what we now called photography. 

After the French Academy of Sciences announced the amazing discovery in January 1839, the French government, who purchase the patent, declared the invention a “gift to the world” on the 19th of August on the same year. Since then we have come a long way and are not done yet discovering and experimenting in this field. This most likely never came to anyone’s mind when ready to get into the let-me-take-a-picture mode: we own this invention as part of our daily routine and this itself is very special. 

We want to inspire you to keep (or start!) taking pictures and make Photography your trusted daily journal because there is nothing more important than your story and the way you see the world. Here are 10 reasons why this is so important in our society and how you can make creativity your ethos and Photography your call.

What you want to communicate with your portrait or your street photography shot does not need a caption, emotions will work their way into everyone’s heart.

2. Capture history 

With Photography, you have the chance to capture crucial events in-the-making. From politics to sports and music, as well as everyday life, you preserve reality as it is in a specific time frame, collecting irreplaceable information for the archaeologists of the future.

3. See the beauty in your everyday life

Develop attention to details in your routine and start to see what surrounds you with fresh eyes: we know you are already doing it when waiting for the right moment, searching for the perfect composition every time you shoot with your camera. Challenge yourself to find beauty and character everywhere and you’ll then discover even more that you initially expected. No corner will be dull, no sky will be flat when looking for the perfect shot. The streets, the café, the faces you know so well will become the most desirable subject.

5. Make you feel happier

Photography is art and you are in fact an artisan of reality. Taking pictures is the right dose of happiness that comes from creating something unique you made: this is indeed special and you should do it all the time.

7. Learn History

Photography has been the voice of the most human history, an irreplaceable tool to record memories and highlight every aspect of our recent history. You can honour the past by going through the most iconic shots that marked a specific event in the last two centuries, or even just searching over your city archives to find out how much photography material was produced and get inspired to do the same to continue the cycle.

Be proud of your work and happy about your memories: your shots are meant to be seen, this is what Photography is all about.

10.Explore the art of Selfie

You might think this is a current trend, however even painters dedicated their work and time to portray themselves. The first selfie was captured in 1839 by Robert Cornelius in Philadelphia and we are still talking about it! A selfie can be more than just a mood of the day and take you as far as writing a story about yourself: a year plan of taking a shot of yourself every day or having the same composition in different locations all around the world are just examples of the most popular ideas. What’s unique about this idea is that you will be still different even if someone else is doing it.

World Photography Day helps us recalling a big step forward in human history and technology evolution but most importantly is a reminder to treasure our most precious moments and document our culture for future generations.