Photography in the 21st Century
As the industry is getting increasingly digitized, what does this unprecedented change mean for photography as an art form? This is an era of image overload, of automation of mass production, new media, drones, and hash-tags. Backups of backups are important, digital clutter is real and the only true way is to let go of the photos you don’t need.
Times are changing, Photography is most popular as a hobby and is quintessentially millennial. There is no arguing that literally, anyone can take a photo. Last week I had the good fortune of meeting Abel, six, a real live wire with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He insisted I show him the tricks of the trade, and it wasn't long before he started snapping and I must add that he did a perfectly adequate job.
The perfect shot is about good composition, balance, lighting, communication, lenses to name a few. And anyone well-versed in the subject can tell a good image from a bad one. A good photograph is one that appeals to the senses. It should be thought-provoking or just make one nostalgic. If anything the DSLR's are heavy so are the lenses and tripods and other photo gear which has to be lugged around. So the art and business of photography is so much more than just hitting that shutter button.
Cecil Beryl Philips, a filmmaker said that "The need of the hour is for amateurs to seek training. There are a lot of newbies who don't take the time to learn the craft and they are causing harm. Professionals need to help them out and post-processing skills are just as important" There exists only one photograph with that particular time and date, with that particular place and camera and that's what makes your photographs magic.
Photography is only a few hundred years old. It all started with Frenchman Joseph Nicephore Niepce's (1765-1833) attempts in 1816 where he constructed the wooden camera with a microscope lens and he did succeed in photographing the images but they were negatives and later in 1826 the first photographic process called heliography was invented by him. This was followed by Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre who invented the Daguerre box which would use silver chloride. He aimed to find a process more efficient than Niepce’s and he would eventually sell his patent to the French government on which he received a hefty state pension. Niepce’s son Isidore too received one. Henry Fox Talbot from Great Britain was creating his own "salt paper" method of photography where he used bathing writing paper in weak solutions of normal table salt and then coating them with light-sensitive silver chloride. This process is called a calotype. The calotype was never as clear as the Daguerre type.
On May 17, 1861, the first color photograph, an image of a tartan ribbon was brought forth by Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell. In 1871 Dr. Richard Maddox used gelatin instead of glass as the plate material for the light-sensitive solution which led to the invention of dry-plate photography and in this process the use of a darkroom tent for immediate plate development wasn't necessary or required. It wasn't until George Eastman (July 12, 1854 - March 14, 1932)invention that left a mark and now photography could reach the masses. And in 1948 the Polaroid was invented by Edward Land which became a consumer favorite because it eliminated the previous long development process and this revolutionary device could develop a photograph in less than a minute. The Polaroid Model 95 was the world's first viable instant-picture camera. In 1878, Eadweard Muybridge successfully captured the sequence of movement. It was this groundbreaking discovery and technique that helped invent motion pictures.
Women have been involved in photography since it's inception. Joseph Niepce wrote letters to his sister-in-law all through his experiments. The first female photographers were Constance Talbot, the wife of Henry Fox Talbot and Anna Atkins, an English botanist. Anna's efforts and her book 'Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions (1843-53)' were an indication that photography was also scientifically useful. This is the world's first photobook and she the first person to make it. During the Victorian era, photography was popular among women because other art forms were more expensive and difficult to take up.
With lower barriers to entry, we need more workshops and community programs with a focus on storytelling. The power of photography lies in storytelling and it's only through combining these two forms we can spark a positive change. We need more leaders. We need more group photo walks and competitions and we can achieve this only if there are professionals are willing to lead. As a community, we need more art galleries and photo exhibitions. This ensures that noteworthy artwork will reach the right eyes and social media should be utilized to reach a global audience. We need thoughtful storytellers and more collaborations between artists.
Photography to me is time-travel, it's music for the eyes. It's about speaking truth to power. I think I was around 10 when I first started taking pictures mostly of my toddler sibling and it just changed my life. As an introvert, photography gave me a voice and a way to express myself. While in college I was simply documenting everything that caught my eye and loved it! My point and shoot was literally my bestfriend. It was also a legit reason to go out! Now I shoot with a Canon 1500 D and a kit lens.
Photography has helped shape our modern society in myriad ways. We feel more seen and heard and it affects our opinions on serious matters. There is no better testament of time than a photograph. It's a moment in history for future generations. Photos are also seen as visual aids for education. Photography's role in conservation efforts has a huge impact on wildlife and the environment.
The number of photographs shared online every day is vertigo-inducing. Today photography is not just about taking pictures it’s about mastering text, editing, pitch. This means we need to cultivate an eye for detail and the gumption to sell them. We need to routinely chuck out images that are just taking up space. And what can bridge the gap between being a pro and an amateur is training.
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst". - Henri Cartier Bresson
This blog is a learning curve, an attempt to capture my first 10,000. I also think what Cartier meant was it takes hard work, diligence, and practice to be a great photographer and the image mark should help in finding your style and niche.
Thank you for stopping by! :)
Times are changing, Photography is most popular as a hobby and is quintessentially millennial. There is no arguing that literally, anyone can take a photo. Last week I had the good fortune of meeting Abel, six, a real live wire with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. He insisted I show him the tricks of the trade, and it wasn't long before he started snapping and I must add that he did a perfectly adequate job.
The perfect shot is about good composition, balance, lighting, communication, lenses to name a few. And anyone well-versed in the subject can tell a good image from a bad one. A good photograph is one that appeals to the senses. It should be thought-provoking or just make one nostalgic. If anything the DSLR's are heavy so are the lenses and tripods and other photo gear which has to be lugged around. So the art and business of photography is so much more than just hitting that shutter button.
Cecil Beryl Philips, a filmmaker said that "The need of the hour is for amateurs to seek training. There are a lot of newbies who don't take the time to learn the craft and they are causing harm. Professionals need to help them out and post-processing skills are just as important" There exists only one photograph with that particular time and date, with that particular place and camera and that's what makes your photographs magic.
Photography is only a few hundred years old. It all started with Frenchman Joseph Nicephore Niepce's (1765-1833) attempts in 1816 where he constructed the wooden camera with a microscope lens and he did succeed in photographing the images but they were negatives and later in 1826 the first photographic process called heliography was invented by him. This was followed by Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre who invented the Daguerre box which would use silver chloride. He aimed to find a process more efficient than Niepce’s and he would eventually sell his patent to the French government on which he received a hefty state pension. Niepce’s son Isidore too received one. Henry Fox Talbot from Great Britain was creating his own "salt paper" method of photography where he used bathing writing paper in weak solutions of normal table salt and then coating them with light-sensitive silver chloride. This process is called a calotype. The calotype was never as clear as the Daguerre type.
On May 17, 1861, the first color photograph, an image of a tartan ribbon was brought forth by Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell. In 1871 Dr. Richard Maddox used gelatin instead of glass as the plate material for the light-sensitive solution which led to the invention of dry-plate photography and in this process the use of a darkroom tent for immediate plate development wasn't necessary or required. It wasn't until George Eastman (July 12, 1854 - March 14, 1932)invention that left a mark and now photography could reach the masses. And in 1948 the Polaroid was invented by Edward Land which became a consumer favorite because it eliminated the previous long development process and this revolutionary device could develop a photograph in less than a minute. The Polaroid Model 95 was the world's first viable instant-picture camera. In 1878, Eadweard Muybridge successfully captured the sequence of movement. It was this groundbreaking discovery and technique that helped invent motion pictures.
Women have been involved in photography since it's inception. Joseph Niepce wrote letters to his sister-in-law all through his experiments. The first female photographers were Constance Talbot, the wife of Henry Fox Talbot and Anna Atkins, an English botanist. Anna's efforts and her book 'Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions (1843-53)' were an indication that photography was also scientifically useful. This is the world's first photobook and she the first person to make it. During the Victorian era, photography was popular among women because other art forms were more expensive and difficult to take up.
With lower barriers to entry, we need more workshops and community programs with a focus on storytelling. The power of photography lies in storytelling and it's only through combining these two forms we can spark a positive change. We need more leaders. We need more group photo walks and competitions and we can achieve this only if there are professionals are willing to lead. As a community, we need more art galleries and photo exhibitions. This ensures that noteworthy artwork will reach the right eyes and social media should be utilized to reach a global audience. We need thoughtful storytellers and more collaborations between artists.
Photography to me is time-travel, it's music for the eyes. It's about speaking truth to power. I think I was around 10 when I first started taking pictures mostly of my toddler sibling and it just changed my life. As an introvert, photography gave me a voice and a way to express myself. While in college I was simply documenting everything that caught my eye and loved it! My point and shoot was literally my bestfriend. It was also a legit reason to go out! Now I shoot with a Canon 1500 D and a kit lens.
Photography has helped shape our modern society in myriad ways. We feel more seen and heard and it affects our opinions on serious matters. There is no better testament of time than a photograph. It's a moment in history for future generations. Photos are also seen as visual aids for education. Photography's role in conservation efforts has a huge impact on wildlife and the environment.
The number of photographs shared online every day is vertigo-inducing. Today photography is not just about taking pictures it’s about mastering text, editing, pitch. This means we need to cultivate an eye for detail and the gumption to sell them. We need to routinely chuck out images that are just taking up space. And what can bridge the gap between being a pro and an amateur is training.
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst". - Henri Cartier Bresson
This blog is a learning curve, an attempt to capture my first 10,000. I also think what Cartier meant was it takes hard work, diligence, and practice to be a great photographer and the image mark should help in finding your style and niche.
Thank you for stopping by! :)
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