How have the uses of photography changed over the years? Compare and contrast the historical uses of photography with the ways that it is used today. What era in photography would you have liked to live in as a photographer? Explain.
Technically, photography has changed in that digital imaging has matured and advanced image making creativeness possibilities and quality beyond what most people could conceive 20 years ago.
Professionally, the advent of easy to use digital cameras and unlimited shooting for essentially free has basically destroyed the professional photographers’ ability to charge a relatively living wage for work. A few still command decent prices, but the digitization has created commoditization, which alway equals pricing deterioration.
The way we view images has changed from open and inviting prints on refrigerators, desks and walls; to email snap shots that must be opened to participate and that we invest 5 seconds in viewing before terminating them.
As with every industry that has been impacted by digitization, great disruption has occurred. Sometimes for the better as in expanding the top one percent of creatives and in potential image quality. Most times in diluting image quality by diluting the talent pool with mediocre uncommitted practitioners. (Like adding water to good wine, the more water the less desirable the wine. Taste, personality, and care are wasted by the dilution.)
Socially, the so called democratization of photography through digital has diluted the commitment to quality image making. Many people are just happy to get an image, even when they are beyond mediocre.
