World Photography Day: Celebrating the artwork of image-making

Photography began in the 19th century with plate photography. This method uses metal or glass plates coated with light-sensitive chemicals to capture images. Photographs produced on glass are known as ambrotypes, while those made on thin sheets of metal are known as tintypes.

Film photography began in the late 1800s and became the main way people took pictures for more than 100 years. Instead of metal or glass plates, film cameras use rolls of plastic coated with light-sensitive chemicals. After taking photos, the film has to be developed in a lab to reveal the images.

Slide film – also known as positive film – produces colour-accurate images directly on the film, which can be viewed directly or projected on a screen. It offers vibrant colours, fine detail and high contrast, making it a favourite for shooting landscapes and travel photos.

Negative film produces an image with reversed colours and light, which is then used to make prints. Before digital photography, it was the medium of choice for everyday photography. Being affordable, easy to process and forgiving of exposure errors, it was ideal for casual users.

Film comes in different shapes and sizes.

Today, analogue photography enthusiasts continue to enjoy the distinct look of film and the more deliberate process of taking photos, as every shot counts when there are only 36 in a roll of film.

While digital photography began as early as the 1950s, it became mainstream only in the late 20th century. Instead of film, digital cameras use electronic sensors to capture images as digital files. This made taking, editing and sharing photos faster and simpler.

Compact digital cameras were popular in the early 2000s, but have been largely phased out thanks to smartphone cameras, although some photography enthusiasts still enjoy the experience of shooting using these older devices. In recent years, Gen Z and Gen Alpha have been driving a resurgence in compact digital cameras, with vintage models showing up in shops in trendy locations like Haji Lane and Orchard, as well as in pop-up booths.

Today, almost everyone has a capable camera in their pocket, thanks to advanced smartphone cameras. Photo-sharing website Flickr’s 2024 year in review found that smartphones were the top nine most popular cameras used to take images submitted to the site.

While smartphone cameras suffice for many use cases, professional photographers still rely on dedicated modern cameras that allow them to shoot with confidence in low-light conditions and capture dozens of photos in a second.

Beyond typical photography, a myriad of alternative image-making methods are available for photographers who wish to experiment with different ways of seeing the world.