In the olden days, if you wanted to have your own portrait, you would need someone to paint it for you. You had to hire a highly-skilled artist to do that, or else you may not get the results that you wanted. The said artist should be well versed in human anatomy, where they should know the proportions down to the smallest parts of the body.
Now, people are taking stills of anything and everything under the sun. If you want an example, just look at product photography. Manila has a lot of billboards erected along its major thoroughfares, and they are littered with pictures of different products such as soap, underwear, and food. These literally are selling to the motorists. Those that are photographed well should get the most attention, which is the point of advertising. That just goes to show that there is money if you have a keen eye for taking pictures of things.
Speaking of photography, have you noticed how it has evolved in the past few decades? There has been a lot of strides made, and it is quite unbelievable where the technology was only a few decades ago.
Cherished Memories
If you are someone who was born in the ’90s or earlier, you must be familiar with the photo album. This is where your parents keep your baby pictures, with maybe some strands of your hair stuck in an envelope somewhere in its pages. You will also see photos of birthday celebrations, graduations, and weddings.
Getting these is not as instant as what you have today. Back then, pictures were taken and stored in film rolls, which held a few dozen shots each. You would have to take the roll to a place where it could be processed and printed onto photographic paper. You would have to wait at least a day before you got the final product.
This long process puts the photographer into a mindset where they want to make every snap matter. It also gives each picture value. You have gone through a lot of hoops before you get it, so it is just right for you to have it placed neatly and protected inside an album.
Digitalization
Digital cameras started seeping into mainstream consciousness at the turn of the millennium. They basically eliminated the main limitations of their analog counterparts. You may have a camera that has internal or expandable storage, which allows you to store hundreds of photos. They are also easy to hook up to a computer, where you can start viewing them right away.
If you want something you can hold, you have the option to print them. It may cost you a lot of ink, but it beats going to a developing station in terms of quickness. This has disrupted the photography market. These days, you will be hard-pressed to find photo film rolls.
Miniaturization
Advances in nanotechnology have led to the creation of smaller electrical components. Cameras have shrunken so much that they have become permanent fixtures in smartphones. They have captured the people’s passion for living in the moment. Since a lot of cameras are now in the pockets of many, they can easily whip it out whenever they see something they think is special.
If you happen to see your favorite celebrity in person, not only will you be able to talk about it, you will also have proof of it. There are still many dedicated digital cameras out there, but the majority of the cameras used today are from the phones.
There is no knowing where photography will take us in the future. It is now at a point where it is very convenient and can produce decent photos for everyone.
