I came across a really thought provoking video on Buzzfeed earlier. It highlights a lot of ingrained issues about how we document our lives using modern photography. Photography is now ubiquitous, pervasive and as described in the video 'intangible.' This leads me to question; we know what we've gained from recent advancements, but what have we lost with the inauguration of modern photography?
"Finding a photo is like finding a time capsule."
The Element of Surprise.
There was once a time when pictures were not viewable immediately. Photos had to be developed via traditional methods in a Photo Booth or in later times, in a pharmacy. A five to seven day waiting period for the development of your photos was the conventional timeframe. It was somewhat exciting to open your pre-packed memoirs and flick through a collection of life chronicoles right in front of you. The element of surprise has been lost due to digital photography and multimedia devices. The aesthetics of holding a picture has also disappeared with the new age of information technology.
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Moments are no longer 'special'
With an average of 1,300 pictures stored on my iPhone, how can I differentiate special moments from mundane ones? Before the introduction of modern technology, a photo reel generally consisted of a limited number of snaps; therefore, choosing your subject wisely was key. One almost felt a sense of accomplishment if they captured that 'Kodak moment.' Feeling fortunate enough to seize a moment has since vanished with the emergence of unfettered data storage. An appreciation of simplistic discourses is no longer a part of social norms.
Stumbling across old archives is obsolete.
There is no greater feeling than doing a spring clean and finding an archive of old pictures buried away in a dusty shoebox. Feelings of nostalgia help us revert back to our past. All sentiments associated with the image come rushing back, even the musty scent of the pictures is quite emotive. However, how can the same be done with mobile devices? On mobile devices, we seek to find images, they don't randomly appear on the screen unless we command it to.
Instagramming pictures of your lunch is socially acceptable.
How on earth did documenting pictures of your food become methodical? At first, I thought it was some inadvertent form of advertising, but this is far from any kind of endorsement ploy, it's simply the era of 'gram time' - a subculture of hungry people.
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Narcissism is at its all time high
With the advent of instant image viewing, came too a more conceited nation. Gone be with the days of 'liking or lumping' a picture. Now we have the option to delete photos instantaneously, and as a result vanity is a wide spread epidemic. Online personas and offline personas are never closely aligned parallels. With tools such as cropping, filtering, framing, white balance, contrast, resolution and ISO, one is instantly turned into a far better looking individual than the one standing in front of the camera at the pre-production stage.
Modern photos live forever
Old pictures can be destroyed. Yes DESTROYED and wiped from our past forever! On the flip side of the coin, modern photography has an infinite shelf life, meaning photos from when you were an acne ridden 15 year old with braces can be traced back to you in a moment of seconds. Scary right? Maybe shut down the owl Bebo account for good measure, ‘ain't nobody got time for that.’
