Today – August 19 – is World Photography Day, marked around the globe as a celebration of the photograph and its history.
The date recognises the invention of the ‘Daguerrotype’ – the first publicly available photographic process – which was gifted to the world on August 19, 1839.
World Photography Day has been celebrated on the day since Indian photographer OP Sharma came up with the idea, with the first marked in 1991.
To mark this year’s World Photography Day, we asked our three official club photographers – Gemma Thomas, Rob Stead and Lloyd Jones – to select their five favourite photographs from their time shooting the Red Dragons.
Check out their favourite photos below…
ROB STEAD: The shot that caused a stir with Sheffield United. This has to be my favourite of last season. When the players ran over to my lens, I was thinking to myself, "I better not mess this up!" Thankfully the photo developed well! Who knew the drama that was about to unfold across the footballing world...
GEMMA THOMAS: What an incredible moment this was for me personally. Standing on the grass at the Snapdragon Stadium, capturing a flyover, above the squad in the setting San Diego sun. A real “pinch me” moment.
This is the start of my fourth season with the club, and to think back of the images I have captured in the past three seasons, my mind struggles to comprehend the things that I have done, and the places I have been. Standing taking this image, shows me how far I have come, and I cannot wait to capture what happens next for all the Wrexham AFC fans around the world!
LLOYD JONES: My Dad & Taid in Wembley. This was one of the last photos I took of my Taid before he sadly passed a few months later that year. I edited the photo way before we knew he was ill so proudly already had this image printed in a frame and just sums up my whole thoughts of Wrexham around my Dad & Taid.
GEMMA THOMAS: The release of emotion! This moment was when we all believed and felt that what we had waited so long for, was now within touching distance. The pure emotion captured in a single photo. The hard work and dedication locked into one image. I love this photo; it sums up how everyone in the stadium felt that day. The Red Dragons roar again!
LLOYD JONES: The fact I get the opportunity to photograph the club I love just means I am able to point towards the crowd as much as I can do. Football without the fans is nothing and I love to capture the passion from our fans week in week out, the passion shows in every game whether it be joy or pain, it's why we all love this game.
ROB STEAD: After seeing images come through from fans in the US of the new billboards advertising season two of 'Welcome to Wrexham', it knocked me back a little to think that an image I took is currently being displayed across Los Angeles. It's far away from snapping the mystery that was Gime Touré at Lex. Photographing at the club is an experience that I am extremely honoured to be a part of.
ROB STEAD: The whole occasion was special from the off. A new stadium, a new away day for me and a packed crowd behind the goal with nothing to lose, and against higher opposition! Top that off with a 12th minute goal from Dalby that got the stadium rocking! The passion in this photo is what everyone was feeling at that moment.
LLOYD JONES: These were always the first thing I could see on the way to the games as a young fan; they are iconic as they are, or were, but again fond memories to keep.
GEMMA THOMAS: What can I say about this image other than wow! At the end of what was Rob and Ryan’s first ever day at the club I captured this moment. A moment between our chairmen, on the turf of the Cae Ras, lit up by our famous floodlights. Still to this day I look at this photo and can’t believe I am responsible for it. A magical day for our co-chairmen but one that I too will never forget!
LLOYD JONES: As a young lad my Dad and Taid used to take me to the games in the early 2000s where we would stand on the Kop so I have very fond childhood memories from here, which is why this photo means a lot to me and shows the history of the Club.
GEMMA THOMAS: What a magical moment for these girls! I have been lucky over the past few seasons to have worked with them and to see them lift the trophy that day brought tears to my eyes. I could not have been any prouder of them.
To see them fight for what they all deserved was incredible to watch over the course of last season. Looking ahead to this season, I for one cannot wait to see how they get on in the Genero Adran Premier!
ROB STEAD: The technical quality of the photo isn't the greatest but the moment will be frozen in time. In what was a season defining game filled with goals and drama, it was a 97th minute stop by Ben Foster that took the headlines.
GEMMA THOMAS: This photo captures what for so long we all had hoped we would achieve. Being able to photograph our local lad, raised above the Wrexham fans that had dreamed about this moment for so long was something special for me to photograph. Being able to capture a moment in time that so many Wrexham fans will look back on in the years to come is a mind-boggling thing to think of.
LLOYD JONES: Love capturing the action especially the celebration photos (when I remember not to celebrate myself!)
ROB STEAD: Not content with just billboards across the pond, now large-scale murals too! 🤯 What an honour to have a photo referenced by the fantastically creative Liam Stokes-Massey (Pencilcraftsman).