Aim a camera lens at a child and watch him undergo a metamorphosis. He will grin from ear-to-ear or look coyly into the camera. He might ignore you apparently, yet may straighten his back and smooth his hair into place. He might even ask you to keep on clicking away until he decides he is bored of the task.

It is human nature that whenever you are given a family photo album, you automatically scan the picture seeking yourself out even if you might have seen that very picture umpteen times before. A photograph brings on a rush of memories and transports you back through time and space.

A photograph may be merely an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, yet these photographs are a priceless treasure trove which take you down memory lane and help you hold onto a part of your past. It reminds you of the person you are and makes you assess what you have become. It helps you maintain ties with the people you grew up with even if they might not be there with you in the present.

Today, in the age of gadgets and technology, the camera has come a long way from the days of the box camera and the pinhole camera. A lot of youngsters have a passion for photography and are vying to get their hands on the latest camera out there which promises exceptional results.

The digital camera has become a must-have. Teenagers are seen armed with a digital camera at a party or even dining out with friends. They capture every moment and then upload it on social sites like Facebook, reaching out to a plethora of their friends and family, making a statement about who they are, inviting the world to see a photo collage of their lives.

So may it be that old black-and-white faded picture of your great-grandfather hanging on your living room wall or your embarrassing baby photos which your mother continues to swoon over; may be that priceless graduation picture on you computer wallpaper or a snap of that special friend stuck inside your cupboard — a picture certainly says more than a thousand words!