Cameras are a big part of our everyday lives. I mean, they’re everywhere! From our phones to our laptops, to our tablets. Almost everywhere we turn.
They’re used to capture memories, to create movies and entertainment, and photography can be used as a form of self-expression. So it should be no surprise that cameras are a popular subject for many peoples tattoos!
It’s odd to think of a world without cameras, but that reality honestly wasn’t that long ago. Let’s take a brief look at the history of the camera!
History of the Camera
The first-ever camera was the camera obscura which dates back to Middle Ages. This was a pinhole camera, which pales in comparison to the smart cameras we have today, but for the time it was created, it was pretty dang cool! The only drawback was they didn’t have a way to preserve the images.
In the year 1816, an inventor by the name of Niepce began to experiment with what he called heliography(now known as photography. He used light to create a photographic image and then used an engraving and different chemicals to transfer it onto a material, though the photo would sometimes fade, this is technically the first-ever photograph!
Niepce’s work was built upon in 1839 when his former partner Daguerre invented the Daguerrotype(some imagination this guy had for names). His invention was much more practical for taking photographs and would stand to be the starting point for cameras as we know them today!
Next, a downright amazing discovery by an inventor named Maddox lead to the camera’s ability to take instantaneous photographs, which made tripods useless and lead to the handheld camera.
In 1885, the film camera was born by a man named Eastman who would go on to create the Kodak Camera. Then by 1913, Oskar Barnack wanted to create an even smaller camera that basically anyone could use. From then on our cameras have only gotten better and more advanced as they went through their own evolution. Crazy!
Now onto the tattoo inspiration!
Cameras make great tattoos for many reasons. They’re aesthetically pleasing(which is always a plus), and they can hold lots of meaning that can vary from person to person! There are so many cameras to choose from, whether that be style like the point and shoot, or what brand, like canon or Kodak.
So what you get will largely depend on you and what camera you desire! Once you’ve decided on the camera, now you get to choose style…the fun part. Well, fun and daunting. There are just so many tattoo styles to choose from it can be hard to know where to start. I totally understand that, so I went ahead created a list to help you out.
Below is a compilation of the best tattoos living on the internet for you to take a look through to gain a better understanding of the styles you like and what kind of overall tattoo you’re going for. Take a look!
Tattoos of Cameras
5. Flowers Surrounding Camera
6. Broken Camera with Butterfly
10. New School Kitten with Camera
12. Globe with Watercolor Camera
13. Dog Holding Camera
15. Teeny Tiny Camera
17. Cool Camera Design
19. Triple trouble
20. Abstract Eye Camera
21. Simple Bicep Camera
Film Camera Tattoo
24. Old School Camera
26. Polaroid
27. Camera on Tripod
29. Massive Film Camera
30. Vintage Camera
32. Flash camera
33. Realistic Camera
34. Detailed Film
35. Kodak with Film Canasters
37. Women Holding Film
39. Large Polaroid
Camera Tattoo Ideas
41. Black & White Camera
43. Autumn Leaves
44. Camera in Pieces
45. Point & Shoot in Black and White
47. Whimsicle Tattoo
48. Abstract Camera
50. Camera with Landscape in eye
52. Traditional Camera with Red
54. Colorful Polaroid with Flowers
55. Camera with Single Flower
Small Camera Tattoo
57. Wrist Camera
60. Little Dainty Hand Camera
61. Smile Camera Finger Tattoos
62. Camera Head
63. Camera Splash
64. Classic Camera
65. Thin Lined Hands Holding camera
67. Camera with Star
Simple Camera Tattoo
68. Tiny Little Camera
69. Camera Outlines
70. Camera with Heart
72. Camera Drawn with One Line
76. Knuckle Camera
Minimalist Camera Tattoo
78. Clean Little Camera
81. Smile
82. Little Finger Tattoo
83. Clean Lined Camera
84. Scribble Line Camera
85. Black & White Camera
87. Swirled Line Camera
More Tattoo Ideas You’ll Love
- Artistic Dragonfly Tattoo Ideas: Symbolizing transformations, change, and new life, the dragonfly is a tattoo design that will never go out of style. Adding lots of details with many lines and colors or opting for a more simple design, a dragonfly tattoo is beautiful. Whether you are in the midst of significant changes in your life or have experienced an awakening of some sort, a dragonfly tattoo is perfect for you. Don’t miss out on these stunning design ideas!
- 31+ Disco Ball Tattoo Ideas for the Life of the Party – Are you the life of the party? These disco ball tattoo designs are fun, playful, and eye catching ideas that you need in your life. Disco ball tattoos are anything but boring, so wild when adding bling to your new tattoo. They symbolize enjoying every moment in life and not taking everything so seriously! Add them to your arms, wrists, feet, or anywhere else you want to display your new disco ball!
- Our Favorite Freckle Tattoo Ideas – Consider cosmetic tattooing to add permanent eyeliner, faux freckles and give your lips the perfect color. Head out the door without having to spend time adding makeup or worrying about it melting away as the day goes on. While the prices vary, it’s not much more expensive than a typical tattoo. Considering how much money you spend on makeup in a year, you’ll see that it’s worth the upfront costs. Plus, can you imagine heading out the door with flawless makeup every day without all the effort?
I'm Victoria Hudgins, a seasoned professional in the field of home decor, which seamlessly complements my artistic passion for tattoos. With nearly a decade of experience as a tattoo stylist, having designed at some of the world's top tattoo studios, my dual expertise helps to fuel my creative inspiration.