Photography — From Fine Art to Instagram
Few art forms have been impacted as heavily by technology trends and digitization as photography. Painters, for instance, still use paint much in the same way they did many years ago and the changes to the tools they use have been minimal. Photography, however, itself a relatively recent art form, is an art form that relies on technological innovation and has always been defined by the tools and techniques that are available. Given its heavy reliance on technology, it is interesting to reflect back on the origins of the art, the biggest inflection point in its recent history, the implications of those changes, and the future of digital photography.
While the forbearers to modern cameras have existed since the 5th century B.C.E with the invention of the camera obscura, cameras did not capture permanent images until the late 1830s and commercial cameras were not sold until the late 1880s when Kodak introduced the first to the market. Film did not become cheap enough for most consumers to use until the late 1940s. The 1950s brought new innovation with Polaroid’s instant image development. “Point and shoot” cameras, where the camera automatically sets the shutter speed, aperture, and focus emerged in the late 1970s. Each of these innovations in photography made cameras, film, and access to the art cheaper, more commonplace, and more accessible for the average person. Where in its early days, photography was reserved for professionals, each technological improvement over time meant that more and more amateurs could get involved. Perhaps the greatest shift in recent history, however, emerged with the introduction of digital cameras in the early 1990s.
The changes that digital photography has brought about have been numerous and have had widespread implications for how photographers, both professional and amateur engage with the medium. When digital cameras first emerged, two of the greatest perks were that you could see your pictures right away on the camera itself, and you could take so many more of them. Even as film became cheaper with time, it was still relatively expensive to buy and develop and photographers were limited by how much film they could carry at a given time. Shots had to be thoughtfully planned and consciously taken so as not to waste film, and once taken, the photographer then hopefully waited while the film was developed. There was always a risk that the shot had not come out as originally planned. While many photographers had access to dark rooms to develop their own film, film photography meant that amateur photographers and everyday camera users had to send their film out to be professionally developed. Digital photography changed all that — anyone could now load their pictures onto a computer at home and print them if they wanted to. What was once an art form limited to professionals or dedicated hobbyists now became available to the masses.
And then came the camera phone. Original camera phone photos, while thrilling at the time, were grainy and relatively useless. But phone camera quality has evolved so much that many people no longer feel the need to buy a “real” camera. Phone cameras now capture more megapixels — the original iPhone came with a 2-megapixel rear camera, compared to the iPhone X’s 12-megapixel camera. Cameras now have bigger sensors, which allow them to capture more light and more detail in a photo. Many phones now even have multiple cameras — the iPhone 11 Pro comes with an ultra-wide camera, a wide camera, and a telephoto camera. More cameras give the phone more data to work with, which can result in a better photo. Phone makers have also drastically improved their camera software, now incorporating facial recognition, HDR capabilities, improved editing features, and the all-important Portrait Mode.
All of these changes mean that anyone can be a photographer, and most people today are. Estimates say that humanity will take over 1.4 trillion photos in 2020, with 90% of those taken on a mobile phone.* While technological improvements have made photography more accessible than ever before, they have also resulted in a shift in how humans think about photos. Rarely now do most of us carefully plan a shot, thoughtfully assessing the framing, depth of field, and shutter speed and then wait with bated breath to see how our film will emerge, hoping the photo appears as we’d planned it. More likely, we take ten photos in quick succession, sometimes not even breaking stride to do so, and pick one that is most insta-worthy to share with the world.
When imaging the future of photography, it is hard to imagine a shift as great as the one that has taken place in the last 20–30 years. Phone cameras will continue to improve over time, as will DSLR cameras. And today social networking, news, marketing, and most other web content thrives on users’ ability to create and share new digital images every day. With this constant need for new content, the future of digital photography may need to include new capabilities for people to take and share quality photos more inexpensively, quickly, and easily than ever before.
*Source: https://focus.mylio.com/tech-today/how-many-photos-will-be-taken-in-2020
