“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that is gone forever; impossible to reproduce.” - Karl Lagerfeld

May is National Photography Month, which began in 1987 when Congress realized the influence that photography had on society. Over the years, photography has tremendously changed. The first photograph, taken by Nicéphore Niépce in 1827, was made using a sheet of metal with a film of chemicals spread on it. It was a process that took about 8 hours to complete. Now you can pretty much take a picture anytime you want and all you have to do is pull out your cell phone.

Whether you are an amateur or a professional photographer, there are many fun ways that you can celebrate National Photography Month, such as learning about the history of photography, learning a new skill, or learning more about your camera. Other great ways to celebrate National Photography Month are taking photos of the normalcy of your life or your pet. If you don’t necessarily enjoy taking photos but love photography you might like visiting a museum or art gallery. Depending on what type of classes you are looking for, some websites offer free classes online.

Scrapbooking or organizing a photobook is also a fun way to celebrate. If you are looking for unique ideas, “Creating Foundations: 40 Scrapbooking and Mixed-Media Techniques to Build Your Artistic Toolbox” by Vicki Boutin is a wonderful book to get inspiration from. Another amazing book to get inspired by is “Mollie Makes Papercraft: Origami, Scrapbooking, Cardmaking, Stamping.

Other fun ideas to try during the month of May are experimenting with new techniques or different subjects. You can find weekly and monthly challenges online to help keep you motivated or simply for fun. Try collaborating with other photographers to share ideas and learn from each other.

You can find many books on digital photography at the Lincoln County Library, such as “Understanding Close-Up Photography” by Bryan Peterson. Another great book to read about photography techniques is “Digital Photography Expert Techniques” by Ken Milburn. This book has many great tips for editing your photos.

If you are interested in nature, you might be intrigued by “The Complete Guide to Nature Photography” by Sean Arbabi. The author not only has tips on taking photos but he also includes photos that he has taken and explains in detail how he took them. The photos are incredible.

All of the books mentioned are located at the Lincoln County Library.