Celebrating National Photography Day

Posted on August 19, 2025August 19, 2025 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

📸 Capturing Magic: Celebrating National Photography Day

Next to my cats, photography is probably my greatest love. I admit I haven’t been indulging that hobby lately but maybe today is a good day to start again.

Every August 19th, lenses click and shutters flutter in celebration of National Photography Day—a tribute to the art, science, and soul of capturing life in a frame. Whether you’re chasing golden light through a forest canopy or composing a portrait that whispers a thousand words, photography invites us to see the world not just as it is, but as it feels.

Portrait of a Cat at rest- photo credit Deb Neumann

🌍 A Snapshot of History

National Photography Day honors the date in 1839 when the French government officially gifted the world the Daguerreotype—the first publicly available photographic process. Invented by Louis Daguerre, this method used silver-plated copper and mercury vapor to create hauntingly detailed images. It was slow, dangerous, and magical.

But Daguerre wasn’t alone. Innovators like:

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (who captured the first permanent photo in 1826),
George Eastman (who made photography accessible with Kodak’s roll film),
and Ansel Adams (whose black-and-white landscapes redefined nature photography)

…all helped shape photography into the expressive, everyday art form we know today.

Puffin- Maine photo credit Deb Neumann

🦁📷 Types of Photography That Steal the Spotlight

Photography is as diverse as the subjects it captures. Here are a few beloved genres:

Wildlife Photography: Patience meets adrenaline. Think of crouching in dewy grass as a fox pads into view, or waiting for a hummingbird to hover just right.
Shy Fox- Maine photo credit Deb Neumann
Portrait Photography: More than faces—it’s emotion, story, and soul. A good portrait reveals not just who someone is, but how they are.
Hula Hawaii- photo credit Deb Neumann
Landscape Photography: From misty mountains to sunlit deserts, this genre celebrates Earth’s grandeur.
Quechee Gorge VT- photo credit Deb Neumann
Street Photography: Candid, raw, and poetic—capturing life as it unfolds in alleys, cafés, and crosswalks.
Macro Photography: A world in miniature. Dewdrops become galaxies, and insect wings shimmer like stained glass.
Astrophotography: Shooting stars, lunar landscapes, and the Milky Way—where science meets wonder.

Everyone loves a hot dog (Nat Geo honorable mention)- Photo credit Deb Neumann

🎞️ Quirky Facts That Make Photography Irresistible

Wind Surfing 2020 Hawaii- photo credit Deb Neumann

The first photo of a person was accidental—captured by Louis Daguerre in 1838. A man getting his shoes shined stood still long enough to appear in the long exposure.
The term “bokeh” (that dreamy blur in backgrounds) comes from the Japanese word boke, meaning “blur” or “haze.”
Some photographers use infrared or ultraviolet light to reveal hidden patterns in nature—like floral markings only visible to bees.
The longest exposure ever taken lasted eight years. Artist Michael Wesely used custom cameras to capture the slow transformation of urban landscapes.
Breaching Humpback, Stellwagon Banks – photo credit Deb Neumann

🌿 Why Photography Is More Than a Hobby

Photography is storytelling with light. It’s a way to preserve fleeting moments, explore new perspectives, and connect with nature, people, and memory. Whether you’re snapping a squirrel mid-leap or composing a still life of moss and moonlight, each photo is a whisper of wonder.

Montezuma’s Castle Arizona – photo credit Deb Neumann

So this National Photography Day, grab your camera—or even your phone—and chase the light. Frame the ordinary until it becomes extraordinary. And remember: every photo is a love letter to the moment.

Fish for You – Key Largo FL – photo credit Deb Neumann

What I Missed in San Diego ~2

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014 by Dusty Roads

So much to see. My first post ran out of space after only 2 attractions! What else is there to see?

Well, one of the top things to do in San Diego is to go to the beach. I’m not a beach lover unless it’s in conjunction with some activity like snorkeling or exploring tide pools but all I heard from the wait staff while I was in San Diego was…go to the beach. Big waves coming in. 10 ft. plus! If there were 10 ft. waves I bet there were surfers. And if there were surfers I bet there were photo ops! So go to the beach has just landed on my list.

The San Diego Zoo is way up on my list, a real “Must see”. I love zoos and this is supposed to be one of the best. The San Diego Zoo is top-rated everywhere, consistently included on various top zoo lists and active in animal conservation. The San Diego Zoo put its first animal on display in 1916, a Kodiak bear named Caesar. Today, the San Diego Zoo is a far cry from the zoos of yesteryear where animals were simply displayed in cages. Instead, you’ll find them in the most natural settings possible, at the same time giving visitors the opportunity to see them up close.

Another Must See for me is the San Diego Zoo’s sister park, San Diego Zoo Safari Park. I haven’t been yet but I bet it’s on the same idea as Disney’s Animal Kingdom, one of my all time favorite places to be. Lots of large animals live in the same big, open areas here – predators kept away from prey, but otherwise much as they would in their natural habitat.

The highlight is the safari-style tour, which may be the closest many of us will ever come to seeing these critters in the wild. Besides that, you’ll find lots of other animals also in natural environments, including a pride of lions.

Balboa park is a haven for photographers so you know that’s on my list. Originally built for temporary use during the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego, Balboa Park boasts buildings beautiful enough to be considered attractions in themselves, especially if you’re a photographer. They’re surrounded by trees, lawns and fountains, but that’s only the beginning.

America’s largest urban cultural park has more than 25 museums and attractions, from the astronomical to the zoological. In Balboa Park, you can take a walk, ride a bike, see a Tony Award-winning play, ride a carousel or go to the San Diego Zoo. With 8 gardens and 15 museums to choose from, you could be busy here for days.

Balboa Park is east of downtown San Diego.

Those Were The Days

Posted on January 5, 2014January 5, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Didn’t I just say that I hate the cold? I don’t hate the snow. It’s pretty and if it could be warm I might actually like it. It seems to me as a kid I liked it. I remember snowball fights and snowmen and snow forts. I loved “tracking” little animal prints through the white stuff and even learned to snow shoe.

Remember the “Flying saucers?”.

They were round aluminum disks that we sat on to go twirling down the hills when we weren’t racing on the toboggans, I remember the flexible flyer too. We’d hold it up as we ran like crazy only to throw ourselves on it while we were still in the air, kind of like a belly flop except we wanted to do this to get the sled moving faster.

Remember the ice crusts? We’d use plane old cardboard boxes to go sliding then. Just don’t fall face first as that crust could slice and dice. I made many trips home bloodied up.

I even went horseback riding in the snow when I could sneak out. That was a big no-no when it should have been a yes-yes to keep the horse from getting too frisky. 🙂 A fine example of 20-20 hindsight. But my point is that I didn’t always hate the cold and snow.

I hate it now because it hurts. It makes my joints ache, especially my hips, knees and ankles. Today we can add in my right shoulder, maybe from shoveling? I wish it didn’t affect me that way.

I see these wonderful nature programs on PBS, polar bears, elk, caribou and other northern snow-loving animals.

I want to photograph these animals in the wild, not at the zoo. I want a picture of a deer standing in a field of snow for one of my Christmas Cards.

There’s a place, a sanctuary, where I could photograph wolves but the best time to go is, you guessed it, in the winter.

Right here in Massachusetts we have wintering grounds for snowy owls. The best known one is Duxbury Beach, a six mile long barrier beach. Snowy owls that try to settle at Logan Airport are trapped and moved to this stretch of sand to rest before they continue on their southern migration.

Photographing the “Snowies” is a common winter pastime for bird photographers and birders hold walks to look for them along the beach, but let me tell you, that wind off the water is cold. I’ve driven over to that beach only to chicken out once the wind hit me. I guess I’ll never make a serious nature photographer…more like a fair weather one.

So until I figure out how to keep warm out there, I’ll stand by my “I hate the cold” comment.

What do I hope for in 2014

Posted on January 2, 2014January 2, 2014 by Dusty Roads

What do I hope for in 2014? Oh let’s see…Peace in this world, no more hatred, a cure for cancer, our soldiers home from foreign lands, joy for everyone, no more hunger, no more bigotry, shall I go on? But in my little corner of the world where it’s the small things that I can change I’ll address those little goals and challenges I mentioned a couple of days ago..

Ah yes, those Goals and Challenges.

So here goes.

Lose 50 lbs. (I’ll fit in the tiny airplane seats better, I’ll look better and I’ll feel better.)
Set up a budget (my job change affected my finances so I need to start putting money aside for the extra’s that pop up.)
A photo a day (keeps the camera “TOM” top of mind and will help me continue to improve my skills)
Home Improvement ( the little condo just collects clutter. Time to clean it out, shampoo carpets and maybe get the bedroom painted)
Plan my vacation (I know, that’s what you are all waiting for )
Keep up my blog
Work on friendships and personal relationships so they stay strong and healthy.

So the game plan is…

Health/ Weight Loss

A before picture taken on the first day plus measurements and weight to be updated in a log monthly.
Walk…weather should not be a factor. Start with 1/2 hour daily for month one and evaluate at the end of the month.
Eat healthier. Cut back on carbs and increase salads and veggies and good protein.
Consider buying a bike in the spring depending on progress.

Finances

Open a savings account
Deposit $50 per pay period toward expenses like property taxes and time share maintenance fees .
Pay off the credit card. The balance snuck up over the holidays.
Open a pre paid credit card through AAA for travel and vacation

Hobbies

Take the camera on the walks for my daily photo.
Upload the best of the day. At the end of the week see which photo got the most hits and save it as the photo of the week.
End of the year make a photo book “Best of 2014”
Get a head start on my photo cards for the holidays.
Add more Birthday and special occasion cards to the line.

Home Improvement

Attack the clutter with a vengeance. If it hasn’t been used in 6 months, get rid of it.
Have the carpets shampooed
Paint the bedroom
Get an cabinet or cupboard to organize my photography gear.

Vacation

Pick a location
Plan the vacation
Share the plans here so my content gets more interesting

Blogs

Post daily on Aroundustyroads
Post my daily pictures on Dustyroadsphotos
Work to keep content fresh and interesting by visiting local attractions between vacations.
Increase readership over 2013. No % just an increase will make me happy. At least I know the blog is growing then.

Personal Relations, Friends and Family

Work at the relationship. It won’t stay close if ignored.
Stay in touch with family. Same thing, you can’t stay close if you ignore each other.
Be a friend. Can’t have them unless you’re willing to be one.
Lend a hand when needed even if it’s just to listen.