As it’s World Photography Day tomorrow (19 August), we delve deep into how the camera and its role in society has evolved over the past 200 years.

Brits do it five times a day, while Americans manage it 20 times a day.*

Yes, taking a photograph has become an ingrained habit for many. We eagerly snap shots of our pets, holiday spots, meals, or even selfies, often without hesitation.

Staggeringly, across the globe, people snap an immense 1.81 trillion photos every year, sharing 1.3 billion photos on Instagram and 6.9 billion on WhatsApp daily.**

This accessibility to high-resolution phone cameras allows us to effortlessly capture both monumental and everyday moments, and instantly share them.

Contrast this with the 1800s. Early photographers endured long hours, needed specific equipment, and even handled toxic chemicals like mercury just to capture a single image.

The game changed on 19 August 1839. Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre shared his groundbreaking photographic method, making photography available to all and, unfortunately, rendering many portrait painters jobless.

Photography evolved with the roll-film Kodak camera in 1888, the box Brownie in 1900, the Polaroid in 1948, and the first commercially sold digital camera in 1987.

1999 saw a pivotal shift as digital cameras were integrated into mobile phones, reshaping our visual perspective of the world.

With this, the demand for quality imagery soared. Gone are the days of settling for blurry, pixelated photos, especially when marketing properties. The right lighting and angle are crucial.

We invite you to showcase your best shots. Be it a breathtaking landscape or a cherished pet, share them with our community on @cookeco on social media.