National Camera Day - Focus on how cameras have made telling our stories easier than ever.

National Camera Day 2024 – June 29, 2024

Smile! National Camera Day is June 29, a day to celebrate the fact that photography, once so complicated it took a scientist to understand, is now part of our everyday lives. The word “photography” is based on two Greek words that, when put together, mean “writing with light.’” It’s a beautiful way of describing what a camera lets us do — tell a story without the use of words. It all goes back more than 800 years to the invention of the camera obscura. Meaning “dark chamber,” the camera obscura was nothing more than a box with a hole on one side. Light would pass through the hole and into the dark interior of the box, where it would project an image onto the flat inner surface. Unfortunately, when the light was gone, the image disappeared — like Instagram, but without an actual photo. Fast-forward through the centuries to today, when everyone with a smartphone has a camera at their fingertips. Whether you love shooting film and changing lenses or prefer the ease of digital, use June 29 to focus on how cameras have made telling our stories easier than ever.

National Camera Day timeline

400 B.C.E.
Ancient Optics Invented

The Chinese provide the earliest known written record of their exploration of camera obscura, or pinhole imagery.

1825
The First Image Printed

French scientist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce invents the heliograph, a print that required eight hours of light exposure to create and which soon faded.

1839
The Forerunner of Filming Born

Louis Jacques Daguerre invents the Daguerreotype, the first commercially successful photographic process for creating a permanent image on a metal plate.

1841
Talbot Patents the Calotype

William Henry Fox Talbot patents the Calotype process, the first negative-positive process which makes it possible to reproduce multiple copies of a picture.

1880s
Enter Modern Film

In 1884, George Eastman invents the first flexible photographic film. He follows this up with another first in 1888, when he patents the Kodak roll-film camera.

1900
Meet the Brownie

The first mass-marketed camera goes on sale and the public goes wild.

1903
Photography Takes Wing

The Wright Brothers invent the airplane, which revolutionizes aerial photography, making it a significant tool for the military.

1925
Photography Hits the Presses

The Leica I becomes the first practical and commercially successful 35 mm camera, a favorite of photojournalists.

1935
Eastman Does It Again

Eastman introduces Kodachrome, the first and arguably best color transparency film.

1936
“Life” Hits the Streets

Henry Luce’s “Life” becomes the first all-photographic magazine to appear on newsstands

1948
Instant Gratification Lands

George Land invents the Land Camera, the world’s first instant-picture, nodevelopment-needed camera.

1970s-90s
Enter the Digital Age

Numerous manufacturers went to work on cameras that stored images electronically, resulting in the first point-and-shoot cameras.

2000
Cameras on a Phone?

The first mobile phone with a built-in camera is introduced.

2004
Digital Becomes Dominant

Kodak stops making film cameras.

National Camera Day Activities

  1. Say cheese!

    It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving to take a family portrait. National Camera Day gives you another reason to get everyone together for a summer photo session. Who knows? It could become the new family tradition.

  2. Take a safari

    You don’t need a passport for this one, only enough free time to slow down and look at familiar surroundings in a new way. Been down that street a hundred times? Shoot it at different times of the day as the light changes. Love walking in the woods? Get in close and photograph the knot in a tree or a single drop of rain. Wandering around with a camera can give you a new perspective on how you see the world.

  3. Get creative by scrapbooking

    Photos can eat up a lot of space on your computer or, worse, deteriorate when stashed away in boxes. Clear up the clutter and organize your favorites into scrapbooks. Select photos with a specific person in mind to create a deeply personal and highly appreciated gift.

Five Facts That Put A New Face On Photography

  1. Yes, you do have a “good side”

    Researchers at Wake Forest University found that the left side of our faces looks better in photographs than the right side does.

  2. The best model was a dead model

    Because it used to take hours of exposure to capture a single image, many of the earliest photographic portraits taken were of corpses.

  3. Cheers for the Cheerleader Effect

    Research published in the journal “Psychological Science” showed that, because being in a group averages out everyone’s features, we’re perceived as looking better in group shots than in individual portraits.

  4. No, They Weren’t Afraid to Smile

    In fact, the reason people look so grim in old photos is one of necessity; it’s almost impossible to maintain a smile when you have to sit absolutely still for hours to get a single shot.

  5. The Selfie Debuts in 1839

    That was when Robert Cornelius set up his camera in the back part of his family store, removed the lens cap, and then ran into the frame to capture his own photograph, a process that took several minutes.

Why We Love National Camera Day

  1. Why We Love National Camera Day

    Sure, you could pick up a pen or use a computer to write about what’s going on in your life, or you could take and post a picture. Photography lets you show the world how you are feeling, what you are doing, or where you are in a single image.

  2. Photography preserves memories

    Over time, photographs can become cherished heirlooms. Whether you keep your pictures stashed in shoeboxes or post them to a website, photography ensures that the events and moments we care about most can be permanently captured, saved, and shared.

  3. Anyone can take be a photographer

    There’s no steep learning curve to photography anymore, no bulky equipment to haul around. From simple point-and-shoot cameras to cell phones and tablets, you can always be ready to get the shot.

National Camera Day dates

Year Date Day
2023 June 29 Thursday
2024 June 29 Saturday
2025 June 29 Sunday
2026 June 29 Monday
2027 June 29 Tuesday