Strike a pose, it’s Camera Day

It’s Camera Day so put on your best face today, 29 June, and have some fun snapping pictures of your family, friends, yourself and whatever else your heart desires.

Since the invention of cameras, it’s been easier to capture precious memories. From the first picture, which took eight hours of exposure to develop, to today when everyone can take pictures instantly on the cellphone cameras in their back pockets, the camera industry has come a long way.

Camera trends have also changed – from the time when only professionals took photos to when everyone could buy a camera and take their own pictures. Then came the ages of the Polaroid camera, the digital camera and the cellphone camera, followed by the revival of the Polaroid. There are even places where people can share their photos digitally on social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest and We Heart It. With the advent of the selfie, the world seems to have become obsessed with photographs.

Here are some interesting camera facts:

1. It is estimated that the world’s population has taken over 3,8 trillion photos.

2. A Leica O-series camera was auctioned for $2,8 million (+/- R43 million) in Vienna, Austria in 2012. This was the most expensive camera in the world.

3. The first digital camera was developed by Kodak in 1975. It weighed 3,6kg, and took black and white 0,01megapixel photos.

4. There are at least 12 cameras on the moon. The 1969 Apollo astronauts took 12 cameras with them to document their experience. They had to leave all of them behind to accommodate the moon rocks they were taking back to Earth.

5. Dilish Parekh from Mumbai is the man with the largest camera collection. He owns 4 425 antique cameras which he has collected since 1977. His oldest camera dates back to 1907.

6. The word camera is derived from the Latin phrase “camera obscura” which translates as “dark chamber”.

Take your pictures today and share them with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook .

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