Photography is even more relevant today than
it used to be.
In the past, photographs were a novelty to have. Cameras were
expensive to own and required skill to use effectively. They were also a burden
to carry around with all of the equipment required. People usually went to a
photographer’s studio, as shown on the right, to get posed photographs of them and their loved ones in
proper clothing. Although you can still enjoy a studio experience today, cameras are accessible to virtually anyone. This allows people to take photographs anywhere of anything at anytime. Photographs today are also used not just for memories, but also as art with meaning.
In the past, photographs were a novelty to have. Cameras were
expensive to own and required skill to use effectively. They were also a burden
to carry around with all of the equipment required. People usually went to a
photographer’s studio, as shown on the right, to get posed photographs of them and their loved ones in
proper clothing. Although you can still enjoy a studio experience today, cameras are accessible to virtually anyone. This allows people to take photographs anywhere of anything at anytime. Photographs today are also used not just for memories, but also as art with meaning.
While still photographs may lack the animation and sound of
television and film, they can capture powerful moments and messages that force
the audience to think.
They are like real-life paintings. People stand around
art museums and galleries for hours contemplating the message behind the
images. The same goes for photographs. They are pieces of contemplative art.
Films and televisions are relatively outright in their messages. They usually
do not require much thought. Because photographs do not have a voice, a
beginning, middle, or an end, the audience must fill in the pieces. And that is
a great mystery and discovery that many can enjoy.
They are like real-life paintings. People stand around
art museums and galleries for hours contemplating the message behind the
images. The same goes for photographs. They are pieces of contemplative art.
Films and televisions are relatively outright in their messages. They usually
do not require much thought. Because photographs do not have a voice, a
beginning, middle, or an end, the audience must fill in the pieces. And that is
a great mystery and discovery that many can enjoy.
The enhanced quality of the consumer camera makes it easy
for anyone to capture life’s moments.
About twenty years ago, cameras required film in order to take photographs and the film space was limited to about thirty pictures per roll. If a bad picture was taken, no one would know until the film was developed and the moment was over. Today, cameras require a memory card that can hold anywhere from hundreds to thousands of photographs at a time. This allows room not only for bad pictures to be taken but also for in-the-moment artistic inspiration to shoot different angles or poses of whatever the subject may be. If more space is needed on the memory card, simply download all of the photographs to a computer and clear the memory card or view each photograph on the camera’s display screen and delete them as desired.
About twenty years ago, cameras required film in order to take photographs and the film space was limited to about thirty pictures per roll. If a bad picture was taken, no one would know until the film was developed and the moment was over. Today, cameras require a memory card that can hold anywhere from hundreds to thousands of photographs at a time. This allows room not only for bad pictures to be taken but also for in-the-moment artistic inspiration to shoot different angles or poses of whatever the subject may be. If more space is needed on the memory card, simply download all of the photographs to a computer and clear the memory card or view each photograph on the camera’s display screen and delete them as desired.
Not only are cameras better than ever, there are various innovative photographic technologies available today that were unfathomable before.
Almost every electronic device has a built in camera: laptops, cell phones, iPods, iPads, and NintendoDSi are just some. There are applications on smartphones to edit and showcase personal photography such as Snapseed and Instagram, respectively. Consumers can also purchase add-on lenses for their smartphones to change the camera's capability. In addition to device cameras, there are cameras that can go in extreme places such as underwater. All of these innovative systems allow users to personalize their photography experience to fit their lives. Because cameras and personal photography are so prevalent today, we will have many memories to show (or hide) from our children and our grandchildren that our parents and grandparents could not show us.
Almost every electronic device has a built in camera: laptops, cell phones, iPods, iPads, and NintendoDSi are just some. There are applications on smartphones to edit and showcase personal photography such as Snapseed and Instagram, respectively. Consumers can also purchase add-on lenses for their smartphones to change the camera's capability. In addition to device cameras, there are cameras that can go in extreme places such as underwater. All of these innovative systems allow users to personalize their photography experience to fit their lives. Because cameras and personal photography are so prevalent today, we will have many memories to show (or hide) from our children and our grandchildren that our parents and grandparents could not show us.
Unfortunately, photographs can be altered to appear to be something they really are not. While this still holds true for moving pictures, it is harder to make it believable. All it takes is a simple crop or a program like Photoshop to create a lie. This makes photographs dangerous because it can affect people on both small and large scales. For example, it can ruin someone’s reputation or it can create a false image of beauty that millions of young girls see and try to attain.
That aside, the ease of consumer photography today can inspire many people, spark a hobby, or create a job. Personally, I am appreciative that photography is where it is today. I enjoy taking pictures on my camera and my iPhone wherever I am. I am also an avid Instagram user with over 575 photos shared. Photographs are a great way to share moments, memories, and ideas. And in many cases, photographs can be funnier than videos, unless of course it is of someone falling off of a table.
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