Ritu Singh
“People say that a time machine can’t be invented, but they’ve already invented a device that can stop time, cameras are the world’s first time machines.”
Needless to ask, but can you imagine a world without cameras now? For many of you, a camera is your most prized possession and therefore the love of your life. Can you enjoy any event without taking pictures? The mere thought is enough to scare us. So, to encapsulate this essential part of our lives now, June 29th everyday is celebrated as Camera Day.
This day celebrates photographs, the camera and its invention. Photography is all about celebrating the gift and ability we have to communicate through this powerful visual medium. It’s an art which has revolutionised the way we see and perceive the world.
Why we love photography?
A camera has emerged to be an irreplaceable tool which beautifully captures and replicates life's memorable experiences and moments. For emotional beings as us, this little medium lets us freeze all those special and unforgettable moments and document our lives.
Something ordinary turns unique once you are behind the lens. Photography gives us a different perspective of the world and even a bland and common sight transforms into something magical when captured with the right emotion.
Cameras give us the power to explore various aesthetic possibilities offered by colour, light, form and shape. With this dainty tool, you can express yourself-your opinions, interests and beliefs. And now with a plethora of options and various technological advancements, you can explore a multitude of ways to capture and represent reality or rather bend it too. And it is not just about photos, but cameras find application in security management, surveillance and traffic monitoring. The utility of a camera is ample and wide-ranging.
History of Camera
With the advent of technology, now we have super friendly cameras but once upon a time they were not so convenient, affordable and portable. Modern day cameras have long history that goes back far in time.
Cameras evolved from the camera obscura, and continued to change through many generations of photographic technology, including daguerreotypes, calotypes, dry plates, film, and digital cameras. The basics or fundamentals of camera obscura was discovered by Alhazen when he invented the pinhole camera.The first partially successful photograph of a camera image was made in approximately 1816 by Nicéphore Niépce. After Niépce's death in 1833, his partner Louis Daguerre continued to experiment and by 1837 had created the first practical photographic process, which he named the daguerreotype and publicly unveiled in 1839. Ever since then, cameras underwent widespread transformation to become what they are today.
Now, with the availability of smartphone cameras, all of us have the power and ability to preserve a memory. This day seems perfect to honour the creation of camera and appreciate its wondrous value in our life and society. Whenever inspiration strikes or beauty overwhelms you, don’t worry if you are a professional or an amateur, just take out your camera and go clickety-click!
