On 19 August 1839, Louis Daguerre presented his latest invention, the daguerreotype, to the French Academy of Sciences. It was a process that made it possible to capture an image through a chemical process. That same day, the patent was released, paving the way for the development of photography as we know it today.
A lot has changed since then. We have gone from those first images to digital cameras, smartphones and photographs that can be taken in a matter of seconds. Today, we carry a camera in our pocket and can turn almost any moment into an image.
But perhaps photography has never really been just about taking pictures.
World Photography Day, promoted by Australian photographer Korske Ara, reminds us of the power an image has to tell stories, evoke emotions and, most importantly, change the way we see the world. Since 2007, Ara promoted a photography competition open to everyone, with proceeds going to an organisation dedicated to providing medical care for children. The initiative continued to grow until it achieved huge international recognition.
And yet, there is something no camera can ever capture. Because not every memory needs a photograph.
We also take pictures with our eyes. With our senses. With our emotions. Every moment we experience is somehow recorded in our minds: an unexpected conversation, a burst of laughter, the taste of something we tried for the first time, a song playing while we looked out at the sea, a sunset, someone we met, a place we arrived at without knowing it would become unforgettable.
And this is especially true when we're on holiday.
Because when we travel, we don't just fill our phone galleries. We fill our memories with stories. Every day is made up of little moments that, although they may seem insignificant at the time, can eventually become some of our favourite memories.
A photograph can show us what a place looked like. But our memory brings back how we felt while we were there.
Years later, we can look at a picture and remember the warmth on our skin, the smell of the sea, that conversation, the laughter, the tiredness after a long day, or that wonderful feeling of having nowhere to rush to because, for a few days, the world could wait.
So this 19 August, let's celebrate photography, of course. Let's take pictures. Lots of them. Let's capture those landscapes, those people and those moments we may want to revisit one day.
But let's not forget to look up from the screen and live the moment. Because there are moments that deserve a photograph. And there are others that simply deserve to be lived. In the end, the best holidays aren't the ones with the most photographs. They're the ones that, many years later, we can still remember with our eyes closed.
So go out there and create memories, mental snapshots and unforgettable moments — and book your getaway with MarSenses.
We’ll be waiting for you!
And by the way, you won't need a flash on your camera. Between the sunshine and your own sparkle, there's more than enough light.
