October 20th named International Mobile Photography Day by Nokia

Smartphones have changed the way we point and shoot. Mobile devices sported sub-par cameras were simply used sparingly, while actual point and shoot, compact systems and DSLRs were used for higher quality results. Now we have half-decent shooters inside smartphones, but Nokia took things further with its PureView technology (Nokia 808 PureView) and Windows Phone.

The Lumia 920 was the first Lumia Windows Phone to feature OIS (optical image stabilisation). Then followed the Lumia 925, which added an extra lens to the mix. Finally we have the Lumia 1020, the Windows Phone with a 41MP sensor, Xenon flash and more. It's truly a remarkable device.

Nokia is designating October 20th as "International Mobile Photography Day."

So what's the day all about and why should you be interested? Nokia is calling on photographers everywhere to fetch their smartphones and celebrate with the company on October 20th. The day will mark the first International Mobile Photography Day, which will be dedicated to capturing unexpected and/or unique moments with a smartphone camera. Nokia has teamed up with non-profit news organisation, Associated Press.

Lumia 1020

Nokia Lumia 1020 (Image credit: Windows Central)

Nokia provided AP photojournalists around the world with the new Lumia 1020 Windows Phone, asking them to contribute to the company's "mobile photo documentary." The best-of-the-best will be used in a "Life Unexpected" video.

Here's what Juha Alakarhu, head of imaging technologies at Nokia, had to say about how consumers are using smartphones today:

"People today are documenting life around them in an entirely new way. They’re no longer just taking posed pictures of family and friends, but capturing memories and stories through the magic of photos or videos. Photography has become a natural part of our daily lives!"

That's all well and dandy, but can you get involved? Absolutely! If you have captured some special moments on your Windows Phone and wish to share them, simply tweet your photo with the #1020MobilePhotoDay hashtag. Each entry will be considered for the documentary. Pretty neat.

The video will be released by Nokia on October 21st, so be sure to get your images reader for the photo day.

Source: Nokia Conversations; thanks, , for the tip!

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.