World Photography Day is an annual celebration held on August 19. Established in 2010, it honors the art, craft, science, and history of photography.
The date was chosen to commemorate August 19, 1839, when the French government acquired the patent for the Daguerreotype process. This groundbreaking method allowed for the creation of highly detailed images on a silver-coated copper sheet, without needing a negative. It was the first successful technique for producing permanent photographs with a camera.
Over 40 years later, in 1884, George Eastman of Rochester, NY, improved upon the Daguerreotype process by inventing film, a dry gel on paper that replaced the cumbersome copper plates and toxic chemicals. In 1888, Eastman introduced the Kodak camera, making photography accessible to the general public.
According to the official website, WorldPhotographyDay.com, the theme for 2024 is “An Entire Day.” The goal is for people around the world to take pictures of their entire day and post them to social media with the hashtag #WorldPhotographyDay so that as many points of view as possible are captured.
We can also celebrate World Photography Day in the cycling studio by taking advantage of the plethora of awesome songs about pictures, photographs, films, videos, selfies, paparazzi, and more. Our bucket playlist of over 130 songs is brimming with fun, energetic tracks that are perfect for the cycling studio. (ICA members can find the bucket playlist at the end of this post.) Here are some of our favorites to use and how to use them:
Freeze-Frame, J. Geils Band, 3:58, 186 bpm
“Freeze-Frame” is all about capturing a moment in time, the “freeze frame,” with lyrics filled with photography references like rough cut, hot flash, and zoom lens. The song opens with the iconic sound of a camera shutter, setting the stage for a high-energy ride. (Can you think of another ’80s song that starts with a camera click? Here’s a hint: check out our Duran Duran Appreciation Day post!)
Use this as a warm-up at 93 rpm, letting the infectious joy of the song invigorate the rest of your ride.
Photograph, Ed Sheeran, 4:19, 108 bpm
Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” is a heartfelt song about keeping a photo of a loved one as a source of comfort. The music video features real home footage of Sheeran’s childhood and adolescence, adding a nostalgic touch.
Use this song as a flat road below the beat at 90–100 rpm, choosing to surge the legs to the beat at 108 bpm at 1:11–1:30 (19s), and 2:25–3:55 (30s) if desired.
Photograph, Nickelback, 4:19, 146 bpm
Nickelback’s “Photograph” is a nostalgic journey through old photographs, reflecting on the passage of time and cherished memories. Its steady rhythm makes it perfect for a moderate climb, standing (optional) on the chorus at 0:59–1:39 (40s), 2:24–2:51 (27s), and 3:33–4:00 (27s).
Paparazzi, Lady Gaga, 3:28, 115 bpm
Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” is a vibrant and catchy song that delves into the obsession with fame and the invasive nature of paparazzi.
According to Lady Gaga, “The song is about a few different things – it’s about my struggles, do I want fame or do I want love? It’s also about wooing the paparazzi to fall in love with me. It’s about the media whoring, if you will, watching ersatzes make fools of themselves to their station. It’s a love song for the cameras, but it’s also a love song about fame or love – can you have both, or can you only have one?”
The driving beat and compelling lyrics make it perfect for a challenging interval set as a heavy climb at 58 rpm, standing on the chorus at 0:43–1:15 (32s), 1:58–2:31 (33s), and 2:48–3:20 (32s). You can also use it as a moderate flat road, dissociating from the beat at 80–100 rpm and surging the legs on the chorus to over 100 rpm.
Pictures of You, The Cure, 7:28, 86 bpm
Viewing old photographs often brings joy, evoking fond memories and happy moments. However, those same photos can become painful reminders if the person in the picture is no longer in your life. This is the premise of The Cure’s “Pictures Of You,” a profound exploration of lost love and deep regret.
This track works well as a warm-up, but it shines as a long, sub-threshold interval. The mesmerizing vibe allows riders to focus on their breath and pedal stroke, creating a deeply immersive experience. Very little coaching is needed during this song; give your riders something to focus on and then be quiet for the next 5 or 6 minutes. (This track is available in many lengths and remixes if you need a shorter version.)
#Selfie, The Chainsmokers, 3:03, 128 bpm
Few songs capture the spirit of our photography-themed ride as perfectly as “#Selfie” by The Chainsmokers. PopMatters sums it up brilliantly: “Apparently you either love or hate #Selfie, which is a weird hybrid of EDM and the spoken verse of a hip young thing in a nightclub. You may love it at first because it is sickeningly addictive, then hate it once you’ve heard it too often, or love it and hate it all at the same time. You may love it because you appreciate it is heavily ironic, satirizing the inane vacuity and narcissism of the narrator as she obsesses about how her tan looks, and whether only ten likes in the last five minutes means she should take her selfie down. You may hate it because it is symptomatic of a culture in which we already overdose on irony, because as an expression of what is abhorrent, it just spreads the problem like a virus.”
Even if you find this song a bit annoying, it’s undeniably the quintessential track for World Photography Day. The playful and ironic take on selfie culture will make you and your riders giggle while you work hard on a climb during the high-energy musical interludes between the humorous spoken verses. It’s a fun and fitting addition to our playlist that perfectly encapsulates the theme!
These songs are just a taste of what our bucket playlist has to offer. For ICA members, our complete playlist of 130 songs, filled with fun and energetic tracks perfect for the cycling studio, can be accessed below.
Celebrate World Photography Day with us and enjoy a ride that captures the essence of memories, moments, and the joy of photography! Remember, if we’ve missed your favorite song about photos, let us know in the comments so I can add it to our playlist.