Is Photography Dead

This is a rhetorical question because clearly photography is not dead, but I am struck by the fact that as the quality of picture coming from a cell phone camera improves, the way of the old 35mm SLR with expensive high speed Kodachrome film interchangeable lenses is diminishing.

I started looking through the camera roll on my phone and was amazed at the shear volume of uselessness pictures there, and I bet I am not alone.

Gone seem to be the day’s when one might blow-up a particularly exquisite snap, frame it, and hang it on a wall.

While I notice many posting photos of the great outdoors to social media, they, like myself, are just snapping what their eye sees, and sharing that memory. Did they really take the time to compose the shot, did they consider the direction of the sun and the light angles that creates, did they consider framing the shot… did they think to clean the lens on their phone before taking the shot?

Back when film was a real expense, one did not waste a photo, and they made damn sure their lens was not covered in finger prints and pants pocket lint.

I for one will being to pay attention to the subject of my choosing when taking a picture on my phone, and perhaps I just might blow-up a picture or two, frame it, and hang it on the wall.