Today, more than ever, we strive to capture and document moments with our cameras. Since the idea of combining cameras and mobile phones emerged in Japan in 2000 with the introduction of the J-SH04 model, the ability to take photos is practically always at our fingertips, in our pockets or bags. In this way, we preserve memories and give ourselves the opportunity to recall and share them more often.

We take photos everywhere and in every possible way. We have a strong desire to share the majority of these photos with others. Estimates indicate that we take over one trillion photos annually, with an average of 95 million photos being shared on Instagram daily, while Facebook sees as many as 350 million. According to a Google study, aside from people, the most commonly shared photos are of food. Among animals, dogs are the most frequently photographed, followed by beaches, mountains, and the sky. We also have a strong passion for photographing and sharing images of cars, weddings, and concerts. And of course, there are travel photos, with our favorite backdrops being the scenery of Paris, New York, and Barcelona.

Which photos we have viewed the most

However, it might surprise you that the most viewed photograph in history is considered to be the Windows XP background known as “BLISS” created from a photograph by American photographer Charles O’Rear. The image features a landscape in Sonoma County, California, which now looks significantly different due to planted vineyards, making it nearly impossible to duplicate the original photograph. If you ever wish to find this landscape and attempt to replicate “Bliss,” the exact coordinates of the location are 38.250124, -122.410817.

In addition to “Bliss,” the photograph of the entire Earth taken by the Apollo 17 astronauts is incredibly popular, as well as the Buzz Aldrin’s image “A Man on the Moon” taken by Neil Armstrong after Apollo 11 landed on the Moon.

Some of the most famous photographic portraits certainly include “Afgan Girl” taken by Steve McCurry in 1984, and later published in National Geographic. What makes this photograph even more special is the fact that the Afghan girl in the picture only came across her already globally famous portrait in 2002. A black and white photograph of Steve Jobs is also very popular, who was reportedly not particularly fond of photographers. This was successfully captured by Albert Watson, who claimed to have won him over by promising that the shoot would be done in just about 20 minutes instead of the originally allocated hour.

It’s worth mentioning that the precursor to all these captivating photographs was the first color photograph taken by James Maxwell and Thomas Sutton in 1861.

What makes us photogenic

But what makes a portrait attractive in a photograph? In old photographs, you’ll rarely find a smile on the faces of the people being photographed. Some theories suggest that people in the past didn’t want to show their damaged teeth or appear funny in pictures. In reality, people often had to wait for an extended period for the photograph to be taken, and it was difficult to maintain a smile for that long.

According to the definition, photogenicity is the quality of certain scenes, individual human faces, and objects to appear more beautiful, expressive, or interesting in photographs or film recordings than they do in reality or compared to others. Some say it’s innate, but everyone agrees that it can be easily learned if we adopt a few tricks:

• Supposedly, our left side of the face tends to accentuate emotions more strongly and better convey expression, which the viewer’s eye finds more aesthetically pleasing
• It’s crucial to find the angle at which each person should gently tilt their head and lower their chin when taking a photo
• You should place your tongue behind your teeth
• When taking selfies, slightly raise the camera instead of shooting at face level. If it’s not a selfie, it’s better not to be photographed by someone shorter than you. If you want to elongate your legs, have someone take the photo from below
• If you feel like you have fuller legs, try crossing them or placing one slightly in front of the other. You can elongate your torso by lowering your arms by your sides or shorten it by keeping your hand on your waist
• Let’s forget the old “cheese.” Influencers believe that by saying the word “Thursday,” our face looks more relaxed and our lips appear poutier

Perhaps these tips were used by women listed on the TOP 10 most photogenic women of all time: Cheryl Cole, Audrey Hepburn, Angelina Jolie, Beyonce Knowles, Princess Diana, Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Zeta Jones, Megan Fox, Brigitte Bardot, and Grace Kelly. This ranking was compiled by Nikon based on the opinions of 4,000 respondents. If women have decided on the ranking of women, there’s no reason to doubt it.

Other sources often mention these celebrities as some of the most photogenic: Elizabeth Taylor, David Beckham, Jennifer Aniston, as well as Marlon Brando, James Dean, Megan Fox, Barack Obama, and Brad Pitt.

What you might not know about photography

Most of the brands associated with photography have significant names. The name Olympus is associated with Mount Olympus, the home of Greek gods. Canon means rule, law, criterion. And Kodak does not mean anything. George Eastman, the founder of Kodak, simply wanted a name starting with the letter “K” because that letter sounded strong and powerful to him.

If you thought that our fascination with adorable and amusing cat photos is a recent phenomenon, think again. The trend of cat photography goes all the way back to the 19th century, with Harry Pointer considered as one of its pioneers.

The largest camera collection belongs to Dilish Parekh, a photojournalist from Mumbai, who has gathered an impressive 4,425 antique cameras.

It’s surprising that one of the most popular subjects of photography in the 1800s was actually deceased bodies. This was a way to preserve the memory and physical appearance of a deceased family member. Hmm, it’s a good thing that trend is no longer in fashion.

Another interesting fact is that the inventor of photography, that is, the creator of the first recorded image, Joseph Niépce, was far more famous for his other inventions, namely propellers and boats. Today, we are undoubtedly thankful to him for photography! 😉

This is worth checking out

Considering that it used to take hours to capture a photograph, it was particularly challenging to photograph children. As a result, mothers often disguised themselves as furniture to help their children remain still and relaxed. Here are some very interesting examples that confirm this:

Do you know how fat actually looks, what the inside of bones looks like, or how a scar remains clean? There are also photographs that have revealed exactly these fascinating facts about our bodies.

If you’re interested in knowing which photographs have been sold at the highest recorded prices, who the photographers are, and want to see how they look and if they seem worth the sums mentioned, you can find them at the following link:

And to conclude our review, we are sharing with you the Top 50 photographs taken from around the world, selected as the best photos of 2019. year: . And alongside the best ones, it wouldn’t make sense to leave out some of the most bizarre ones:

Photography of the Future

Photography today cannot even be closely compared to the beginnings of photography in the past. And what does the future hold for us? According to some predictions, we will have “smart” cameras that we can control with eye movements or even brainwaves; cameras will be completely flat, small, and without moving parts, powered by solar panels; and supposedly, we will be able to project our photos as holograms.

Whatever awaits us, a picture will always be worth a thousand words. And it always represents a valuable memory, priceless personal value. When technology has enabled us all to be photographers of moments dear to us and not to miss a single one, let’s take advantage of that opportunity. Let’s enjoy the present, carelessly preserving the past in our photo books.

Contact us! We will give your photographic memories a cover and create an original gift that tells a story, travels around the world, reveals feelings and keeps your happy moments forever.