National Photography Month
A picture’s worth a thousand words, so get out there and start taking snapshots of the beauty all around you, whether right at home or off in an exotic locale.
Celebrate National Photography Month by driving sales of cameras, lenses, courses, and gallery experiences while positioning your brand as a champion of creative expression.
- Share user-generated photography submissions with branded hashtags to build community engagement
- Partner with local photographers and galleries to host May workshops or exhibition openings
- Promote camera gear bundles, editing software trials, or online photography courses as 'skill-up' offers
- Create before-and-after photo transformation content showcasing editing tools or equipment quality
Thousands of years ahead of technology, in the 4th century BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle was already contemplating what would much later be called the “pinhole camera”.
The earliest surviving photo of nature was taken in 1826 by the French scientist and inventor Nicéphore Niépce. At that time, it took days of exposure for a photo to be ready. One of Niépce’s contemporaries, French painter Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, was so excited about this invention that he continued to pursue the process, vastly reducing exposure time and creating opportunities for portraits.
Today, close to two centuries later, it is possible to see just how far photography has come. (Well, except for selfies. Those should probably not be considered progress, as far as humanity goes, anyway.) With the instantly developed Polaroid camera created in 1948 and then finally digital cameras marketed in the late 1990s, the progress has been remarkable.
National Photography Month was created to help people all over the world celebrate the invention of this incredible means of communication with previous and future generations.
So be sure not to let this day go to waste and make some memories with a photograph!
Enroll in a Photography Course
Whether a complete novice, a hobbyist, or a professional photographer, there is certainly always more to learn! Perhaps the local community college will have something on offer, or it might be possible to take private lessons from a local professional photographer. Brush up on or learn more about portrait taking, landscapes, wedding photography, black and white, wildlife, film photography, home and real estate, or even underwater photography! The options for improvement of skills are almost endless.
Visit a Photography Exhibit
Whether in an art gallery or a museum, this is the ideal time to enjoy some photographic art whether by a local artist or a world famous one. Visiting a gallery opening will likely even allow for meeting the artist and enjoying the company of others who also appreciate such fine work. Those who feel up for traveling a bit further from home might want to try out one of these well known museums that often exhibit photography: Foam Museumin Amsterdam, Netherlands. Presenting all the facets of contemporary photography, Foam is one of the best photography museums in Europe. The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in Tokyo, Japan. Located in Yebisu Garden Palace, this museum is usually dedicated to themed exhibits instead of specific photographers. The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, Illinois, USA. This college art museum is specifically dedicated to photography and is known as MoCP. Lianzhou Museum of Photography in Lianzhou, China. The first state funded photography museum in the country, it was founded in 2017.
Buy a New Camera
For those who have been in the photography game for awhile, National Photography Month might be just the reason to consider upgrading the current camera, buying a new lens, or getting a better tripod. And for those who are just starting out, this might be the right time to make a small investment in a camera for learning on. Of course, if there’s some question about whether it will actually be enjoyable, borrowing a camera at first might be the best way to go about learning.
Enjoy Some Old Photographs
National Photography Month could be celebrated by digging up old photos that haven’t been seen in years and marveling at the times gone by and all of the incredible experiences that were had, as well as taking lots of new photos to enjoy in the years to come. That little birthday party your significant other threw for you may not seem like a big deal today, nor may the walk that was taken with your toddler and the dog, but it’s likely that later there will be times for looking back at both of those events very fondly in the years to come. The world has access to such an incredible tool that lets people keep every memory alive forever that it would almost be downright wrong not to! National Photography Month is an ideal opportunity to appreciate all the things that photography has done for humanity, and then continue in that glorious tradition. So be sure to get out that camera and the photo albums and get celebrating! National Photography Month FAQsWhen is National Photography Month?National Photography Month takes place every year in the month of May.[1]What is National Photography Month?National Photography Month takes place to recognize the role photography plays in modern society and encourage those involved.[1]How to celebrate National Photography Month?Celebrating this month is easy! Enjoy looking at photographs, taking some photographs, and telling a photographer how much their work is appreciated.[1]When was photography invented?The first permanent photograph was invented by French inventor, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, in 1826.[1]