I have too many cameras — well not too many, but I have a lot. Over the years, I have gathered a collection of cameras. Some new, like my Canon Ivy and Canon 80D. Some old, like my three Canon AE-1, my Polaroid land cameras and a couple Brownies and an antique bellows camera from the late 1800s — or is it early 1900s? I honestly can’t remember. I have many cameras.

Aug. 19 is World Photo Day. Timeanddate.com said, “Created in 2009 by Australian photographer Korske Ara, the day encourages people to pick up their camera and be inspired by other fellow photographers to take pictures and share them with the world.”

When I was growing up, I always wanted a camera, but my family never could justify the cost. At the time, most cameras were 35mm. I would borrow my parents’ cameras, but it wasn’t until I was 17 that I was able to buy my own camera. It was a 3 pixel Samsung, I think.

I told my parents I wanted to be a photographer. Saying that wasn’t a realistic career path, they urged me to find a second job to pursue. I also enjoyed writing and had been involved in both middle and high school journalism classes. So when I entered college, I decided to major in photojournalism. A mix of my two favorite subjects.

I was gifted my first DLSR in 2007, a Canon XTi, which I still own. It’s gathering dust on my shelf in my camera collection now. My second gifted DSLR was a Canon 40D in 2009, that was my most advanced (and expensive) camera until I upgraded to the 80D last summer.

Humans have always had the desire to capture what they see in a graphical form — early man created cave paintings. The earliest known photograph with a camera was made by French innovator Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826 in Burgundy, France.

Photojournalism originated with war photography, with the first photo being printed in a newspaper in 1948. Photojournalists over the years used their cameras to capture compelling images of people events all over the world. Some more notable names include Dorthea Lange, Henri Cartier-Bresson and David Hume Kennerly. The latter, I had the honor of seeing speak while I attended university.

These days, many Americans walk around with a camera in their pocket at all times. They’re able to pull out their phones and produce decent photos with the touch of their thumb to the screen. Additionally, professional-quality photos are made with cameras that are far less expensive than they have been ever before, making the hobby more accessible to everyone.

Timeanddate.com said, “Whether you are an amateur, a professional, or someone who spends most of his or her day taking phone pictures and sharing them with your social media followers, World Photography Day is an easy holiday to celebrate.”

You can celebrate the holiday by reading and learning more about the history and science of photography. Maybe sign up for a class on the topic. I can tell you, my college photography classes were quite enjoyable, I met some fantastic life-long friends and learned a lot about photography I had previously been unable to teach myself.

I’ll leave you with this final tidbit of photography history from Timeanddate.com:

“Did you know that some 12 Hasselblad cameras were left on the Moon by various missions? Some suggest that this was done in order to compensate for the weight of rock and soil samples the astronauts brought back to Earth.”