Digital Photography Essay

“The early 1990s brought a dramatic change with the advent of digital technology.” (Making the Transition from Film to Digital)

Digital technology has revolutionized the photography industry. From the earliest dated photographs of a person taken by Louis Daguerre in 1838 and today’s world where technology is constantly changing around us, the medium of photography has stayed the same. As times goes on, it is easier to take photographs that are technically flawless -in regards to exposure and focus. It is still as difficult to capture aesthetically appealing images as it was in the age of film and chemicals. Technology is a necessity, but not enough to create art.

The technology is impressive. Simply using the automatic setting may ensure acceptable exposure, but using the controls correctly is entirely different. The auto-focus will work to meter the light and try reducing the red-eye effect. Newer and more expensive consumer cameras now offer face detection and smile detection abilities. You may think you have to work hard to get a bad picture with these fancy extras on new digital cameras, but in reality, when using the auto-focus, it is very easy to get a "bad picture.” The user is seen as knowing their way around the camera, when in some instances, they are using the auto settings, creating a false sense of user capability.

This false sense of user capability stems from the lack of knowledge the photographer has on the subject and equipment. By only knowing how to use the auto-focus settings, you as the photographer are not only hurting yourself in the long run, but, you are also hurting the possibility that you will learn something by tampering with the other settings. This false sense of user capability can be attributed to...

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...tacles that were soon to come. "It became difficult for them to shift the model," he explains. "... In some ways, [the technology] cannibalized an already existing business that was quite profitable and well-regarded." The difficulties lead to Kodak declaring bankruptcy in 2012. (Digital Camera Inventor Explains How Technology Took Down Kodak.)

To conclude, the photography industry has been affected by the technology changes from film to digital. With the advancements of technology, the old medium of film is being replaced by digital. I have provided you with the examples of how film is being phased out by the photography industry, the film industry, social media industry and the cellphone industry. For better or worse, the technology will continue to change. With the increase in technology, I wonder if and possibly when film will no longer be a favored medium.