On the 19th August, World Photography Day takes place as an annual worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science and history of photography; a day coined by respected Indian photographer, OP Sharma.
“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: 19 August 1839” he told 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 an unanimous decision and we started celebrating World Photography Day that year.”
Louis Daguerre was the business partner of inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, whose heliography method is the forebear of the photographic process. Niépce’s image View From The Window At Le Gras, recorded on a polished pewter plate coated with a light-sensitive bitumen in 1826, is the earliest surviving permanent image from nature.
Daguerre, however, developed his own unique process following Niépce’s death in 1833. He invented the Daguerreotype in 1837, which was a positive image recorded on a copper plate coated with silver iodide. Latent images produced in-camera were developed by exposure to mercury vapor and were then fixed by a strong salt solution.
Daguerre sold his process to the French Academy of Sciences in exchange for an annual pension of 6,000 francs, in addition to an annual stipend of 4,000 francs to the Niépce estate. Full details were given ‘free to the world’ on 19th August 1839– except in Great Britain. Daguerre’s agent had already applied for a British patent just before the French government’s generous announcement, meaning photographers in Britain had to pay a licence.
Daguerre’s View Of The Boulevard Du Temple, taken from the window of his apartment in Paris in 1838, is an example of early street photography that includes the first known recorded image of a person.
Despite the photo being shot on a busy Parisian street, the 10-15 minute exposure meant none of the people and carriages stayed still long enough to be recorded. The only exception is a man having his shoes shined in the bottom-left corner. Whether his presence was a coincidence or a request from Daguerre himself, we will never know.
Since then, photographs have continued to permanently capture moments, people, places and experiences, each photo transcending the passing of time. Once again the 19th August will see photographers from all over the world share their work online using the hashtag #WorldPhotographyDay to connect with each other, showcase their favourite images as well as celebrate gift of photography to the world.
Feature Image: Daguerre’s view of the Boulevard du Temple, 1838
Siku ya Picha ya Dunia ni sherehe ya kila mwaka ya sanaa, sanaa, sayansi na historia ya upigaji picha, iliyoanzishwa na mpiga picha wa India OP Sharma. "Wakati huo huo, nilikutana na tarehe hii katika machapisho mbalimbali ya historia ya upigaji picha: 19 Agosti 1839,"" alisema Harmony katika jarida la Celebrate Age." <unk>Ilikuwa kumbukumbu kama tarehe ambayo wakati huo serikali ya Ufaransa alitangaza uvumbuzi wa Daguerreotype mchakato wa upigaji picha kama <unk> zawadi ya bure kwa dunia<unk>. "Mimi aliwasilisha wazo kwa mabwana kadhaa na wapiga picha duniani kote, karibu 150 wao, ikiwa ni pamoja na RPS na Photographic Society of America (PSA), na mwanzoni mwa 1991, kila mtu alichukua uamuzi wa umoja na sisi kuanza kusherehekea Siku ya Dunia ya Upigaji picha mwaka huo. "" - Louis Daguerre, mwanzilishi wa teknolojia ya picha ya picha, Joseph Nicéphore Nierce." Picha ya Niépce ya View From The Window At Le Gras, iliyoandikwa kwenye sahani ya tin iliyopakwa rangi iliyofunikwa na bitumi nyeti kwa mwanga mnamo 1826, ni picha ya kudumu ya asili ya zamani zaidi. Hata hivyo, Daguerre alianzisha mbinu yake mwenyewe ya kipekee baada ya kifo cha Niépce mwaka wa 1833. Daguerreotype ni kifaa cha kuchora picha kwenye sahani ya shaba iliyofunikwa na iodidi ya fedha. Picha zilizofichwa zilizotengenezwa ndani ya kamera zilitengenezwa kwa kuathiriwa na mvuke wa zebaki na kisha zilisimamishwa na suluhisho kali la chumvi. Daguerre aliuza mbinu yake kwa Chuo cha Sayansi cha Ufaransa kwa malipo ya kila mwaka ya francs 6,000, pamoja na mshahara wa kila mwaka wa francs 4,000 kwa mali ya Niépce. Maelezo kamili yalitolewa "kwa bure kwa ulimwengu" tarehe 19 Agosti 1839 isipokuwa nchini Uingereza. Daguerre alikuwa tayari amewasilisha ombi la patent ya Uingereza kabla tu ya tangazo la serikali ya Ufaransa, ikimaanisha wapiga picha nchini Uingereza walilazimika kulipa leseni. Picha ya Daguerre ya Boulevard du Temple, iliyochukuliwa kutoka dirisha la nyumba yake huko Paris mnamo 1838, ni mfano wa picha za mapema za mitaani ambazo zinajumuisha picha ya kwanza inayojulikana ya mtu. Picha hiyo ilichukuliwa katika barabara ya Paris yenye shughuli nyingi, lakini kwa sababu ya muda wa dakika 10-15 ya kuonekana, hakuna mtu wala gari lililobaki kwa muda mrefu wa kutosha kurekodiwa. Tofauti pekee ni mwanamume anayefanya viatu vyake vipake rangi katika kona ya chini ya kushoto. Hatuwezi kamwe kujua ikiwa uwepo wake ulikuwa bahati mbaya au ombi la Daguerre mwenyewe. Tangu wakati huo, picha zimeendelea kukamata kwa kudumu wakati, watu, maeneo na uzoefu, kila picha ikizidi kupita kwa wakati. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Kwa mara nyingine tena, waandishi wa picha kutoka kote ulimwenguni watashiriki kazi zao mtandaoni kwa kutumia hashtag #WorldPhotographyDay kuungana na kila mmoja, kuonyesha picha zao wanazopenda na pia kusherehekea zawadi ya upigaji picha kwa ulimwengu.""" Picha: Daguerre's view of the Boulevard du Temple, 1838