Things You Should Do to Celebrate World Photography Day

Hello to all photography lovers and hello to August 19th. It’s finally our day, World Photography Day! In this article, we provide you with 15 ideas on how to celebrate this special, once-a-year event. Choose the ones you find most interesting and start your World Photography Day early from the morning!

1. Visit a Photogenic Place

Our planet truly offers many natural wonders for all landscape photographers out there. If you have the budget, do check out this Forbes list of most beautiful places in the world to visit. You don’t need to travel thousands of miles to find beauty, though, there are many picturesque places in our own cities and neighborhoods. On August 19th, go for a walk around your home town with your camera, and shoot five scenes you’ve never photographed before. Spend time finding a new angle on something very familiar. It will make you a better photographer by forcing you to think creatively.

Visit a photogenic place such as Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

2. Re-Energize Your Photography With a Gift

Buying a gift for someone has always been troublesome, but buying a gift for a photographer can be even more challenging. Say no more, we’ve made you a list of amazing photography gifts to choose from. Not only did we find unique gifts, but also ones that aren’t so pricey. There are a variety of things for anybody’s taste and budget. Such as this retro camera mug.

3. Start a 365 Project

Not an easy task, you may think. In fact, many of us feel the same way. 365 days sound like a long period of time, but once you get addicted to your daily dose of photography, the time will fly. There will be ups and downs but all in all, just think of all those photographs that remain once you’re finished with the project. If you want to find more about how to start a 365 project, make sure to check out that link. If you need a calendar full of ideas for your 365 project, feel free to download PhotoBlog 365 Project Calendar.

4. Start a Photography Blog

Whether you want to tell your photo stories, get your name out there, or just want to up your presence in search engines, a Photo Blog goes a long way. Unlike uploading photos to a photo sharing sites, a blog feels like you are telling your stories and creating an audience of your own. It is a great way to speak your mind and build online connections through photography. With Photoblog.com, it only takes a minute to start a blog, so what are you waiting for? Instead, if you wish to start a photo website take a look at this guide.

5. Spend the Day Editing Your Old Photos From Last Year

We all have a bunch of folders filled with old photos that we’re a bit ashamed to admit that we never got to editing them but don’t be so harsh on yourself. That’s why we have World Photography Day! You don’t need to sit in front of your computer for 24 hours, choose few photos and reflect on your last year while editing them. We promise you will be surprised how good your old photos are and a bit sad you didn’t edit them soon! If you want to save time while editing with Lightroom, do check out these Lightroom time-saving tips. Or download few of these Lightroom presets for free.

6.  Have a Photography Day Outing or a Party

World Photography Day is such a great excuse to throw a party. Well, not like we need an excuse, right? You can do fun things like showcasing everyone’s photos on a big screen or offering photo sessions to attendees.  If you don’t want to throw a party, you can always have a photography day outing with your friends and even invite online photo communities that you are a part of.

7.  Join a Photo Community

If you’re not a member of any photography community, which we highly doubt, here’s a list of top 10 photography websites to join on World Photography Day. Take some time to read the article and choose a community that meets your needs. Upload your best photographs or start a discussion and see what happens. In addition, don’t forget to appreciate and make connections with other photographers because a community is all about supporting each other.

8. Watch a Photography Movie or Documentary

The World Photography day is a perfect day to catch up on a great photography movie or a documentary. If you haven’t already created a list of things to watch, let us share few photography movie favorites from our members.

• Bill Cunningham New York (A movie about New York City fashion photographer)
• City of God ( A movie about two boys from Rio de Janeiro, one becomes a photographer and the other one drug dealer)
• Blowup  ( A story about London photographer that finds something suspicious about his subject)
• The Salt of the Earth (The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado)
• Finding Vivian Maier ( A documentary on the late Vivian Maier. One of the most accomplished street photographers.)
• Tales by Light ( A National Geographic TV series follows photographers from Australia around the world to tell the story behind each shot.)
• The Genius of Photography ( BBC’s series explores every aspect of photography – from daguerreotype to digital, portraits to photojournalism, art to advertising etc.)

9. Take a Photo of Yourself

We spend all year photographing other people, so why not photograph ourselves for a change? From my personal experience, I find myself the most obedient model ever. Yes, it does take more time to do self-portraits because our expectations are sometimes too high or we’re lacking really good unique ideas. If you don’t know what pose to take, or wondering about the concept, check out this list of 35 creatives self-portrait ideas and start shooting!

10. Try a DIY a Photography Project

What a better way to celebrate the world photography day than to start a DIY project! There will be duct tape, glue, scissors, and paper all over your room but the final result is worth it.  Find out how you can make your own lightbox, flash diffuser and much more with these 20 DIY photography project ideas.

11. Make Camera-Shaped Cookies

If you are into baking, add this activity to your list too. Perhaps these cookies will come in handy for your World Photography Day party! To learn how to bake these, head over to this camera cookie recipe or watch the youtube video below.

12. Combine Your Best Photographs From This Year Into a Collage

Pick out few of your best photographs from the beginning of this year until August 19th and create a collage. You can do black and white series or in color, you can choose a theme or maybe do only landscapes or portraits, the combinations are up to you and endless. Once you select your photos, head over to PhotoJoiner.net’s online collage maker to create your photo collage.

13. Print Your Most Beloved Photograph and Gift it to Someone

World Photography Day shouldn’t be only about us. There are plenty of people that admire your work but probably don’t have enough money to buy one of your photographs. So why not print out your best piece and give it as a gift? Perhaps you want to give it away to one of your social media fans or donate it to a local charity.

14. Photograph Something Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Go outside of your comfort zone and shoot something that is completely different from your current style. Perhaps you have come across a photography niche that is totally outside of your comfort zone. Open your Pandora’s box. If you’re a landscape photographer, why not try shooting some portraits or street photos for a change? Who knows, maybe you’ll enjoy it more than you think.

15. Find Inspirational Photographers to Follow

You can add inspiration and motivation to your photography by following talented photographers. To help you, we list few photographers that we believe are masters of their craft.

• Portrait photographers: Anka Zhuravleva, Alessio Albi, Lamb Loves Fox
• Landscape photographers: Joaquin Guerola, Europe Trotter, Sarawut Intarob
• Macro photographers: Lafugue Logos, Hadrani Hasan, Mandy Disher
• Street photographers: Andrés Gámiz, Tetsuya Hashimoto, Ali Kian Jam
• Documentary photographers: Sergio Carbajo, Tashi-Delek Nakata, ADIREK M

Source: Alessio Albi