1. What Does Photography Actually Mean?
The word photography derives from the Greek words 'photos' meaning light and 'graphe' drawing. So quite poetically the word literally means, drawing with light.
2. When Was the First Photo Taken?
Whilst inevitably grainy, the first photo ever taken, that still exists, was a view outside of photographer Joseph Nicéphore Niépce's window, in Burgandy, in 1826, with the exposure reportedly lasting over eight hours.
3. When Was the First Coloured Picture Taken?
In 1861 whilst working with Thomas Sutton, James Clerk Maxwell took the first-ever coloured photo. After several experiments, they found that any colour could be made up of red, green and blue which was a defining principle in the art of colour photography.
With this in mind, James Clerk Maxwell took three separate exposures of a tartan ribbon under red, green and blue filters to take a single image that changed the world of photography forever.
4. Who Owns the Largest Camera Collection?
Dilish Parekh is a government employee, jeweller and Photo Journalist that owns the worlds largest camera collection, totalling over 4,500 cameras. His love for cameras started when he received his first from his grandfather in 1970 and he's never looked back since.
With a collection that features cameras from 1890 to 1960, including the famous Leica 250, he's yet to experience the glory that the modern Sony A600 has to offer, bless him [my camera by the way].
5. What is the Most Expensive Photo Ever to be sold?
Source http://www.lik.com/
Peter Lik an Australian Landscape Photographer holds that crown. His photo entitled 'Phantom' sold for a staggering $6.5 million to an anonymous private collector back in 2014. However, this claim has been greeted with a lot of scepticism with claims that the sale is yet to be proven.
The previous crown was held by Andreas Gursky with his image of the Lower Rhine river selling for $4,338,500 in 2011.
6. What's the Most Viewed Photo in History?
Snapped whilst on a break in California in 1996 Charles O'Rear depiction of the rolling green hills of Napa Valley could be the most viewed photo in history. Whilst we can't be certain that the picture famous for being the background of the Window XP operating system is the most viewed image, it's certainly close.
Which begs the question of how much did Bill Gates actually pay for this image?
7. When was the First Photo Including a Human Taken?
The first photo of a human was taken by Louis Daguerre in France in 1838.
The inclusion of the man has been commonly reported to be an accident, with the person having stayed still long enough during the seven-minute exposure to be recognisable. All other people, carriages and other moving things are omitted from the scene due to the length of the exposure.
8. What is the Cheerleader Effect?
Well, well, well. This is my favourite little fact on this list. The cheerleader effect says that you look more attractive in group photos than you do in individual photos. So maybe, stop being so self-obsessed and add a few people to your selfies [did I say too much].
One of the main reasons for this ringing true is the way our brain processes information. Instead of focusing on individual characteristics and details we process information in groups and categories more effectively. This is best evidenced via the Ebbinghaus Illusion where the inner circles appear to be different in size, with us processing the shapes in relation to one another [as a group] rather than focusing on the inner circles individually.
9. Which Side of my Face is Best for a Picture?
Well according to research by Kelsey Blackburn and James Schrillo from Wake Forest University the left side of your face appears more attractive. The research concluded this is because the left-hand side of your face projects a greater degree of emotion in comparison to your right.
So ditch the filters and forget Photoshop just make sure you're taking selfies that show the left side of your face. Easy!
10. Why do people look so serious in old photos?
Well, this ones up for debate. Some believe it's because they had rotting teeth whilst others theorise its because of technical hindrances.
Some of the earliest cameras required a long exposure which made it difficult for the subjects to maintain an authentic smile for such long periods. Instead, they chose a much more serious and sombre expression.