Giant manta ray and a photographer off the Ningaloo Coast, Australia
© Shutterstock Premie
Happy World Photography Day!
What's the best thing to do when you come face to face with a giant manta ray? Take a photo of course, and then share your creation with the rest of the world, especially on World Photography Day, celebrated on August 19. As this photographer can attest, a lot of work goes into taking a great photo. There's more to it than having mastery of your equipment and a willingness to go on the hunt for the perfect shot. You also must be ready for a magic moment like this one, so when that amazing shot does present itself, you're ready to capture it.
And if you need even more inspiration to dust off the old camera, today could be considered the anniversary of photography. On August 19, 1839, the French government purchased the patent for the recently invented daguerreotype photographic process, named after French inventor Louis Daguerre, and offered the invention and instructions as a gift 'free to the world.' We'll say thanks by snapping a few cool images with whatever camera we have handy.
Porto Flavia, Sardinia, Italy
People surfing at Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Australia
Green sea turtle diving, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Thousands of jack fish swimming together at Cabo Pulmo National Park, Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico
California sea lion in a forest of giant kelp near the Channel Islands of California
Whooping cranes taking off during spring migration in South Dakota
Humpback whale mother pushes her sleeping calf to surface, Maui, Hawaii
Aerial view of the 'City of Adelaide' shipwreck with trees growing on it, Magnetic Island, Queensland, Australia
