Our society has continued to evolve. The age has progressed in so many ways and regressed in others. However, in scientific advances, the last 50 years have been unparalleled throughout history. Photography’s advancements began with the work of Nicéphore Niépce in the early 19th century and have carried on to the current age. However, the question remains: what impact has photography had on our society? The answers are enlightening.
Experimentation and Resolve
Our society has been greatly impacted by continual experimentation. When one thing fell through, the pioneers of photography continued to persevere and make advancements in their work. Niépce, Louis Daguerre, Henry Fox Talbot, and many more scientists created and developed a device that was revolutionary in the eyes of all who came to see; the potential to capture history as it occurred. Consider, before the invention of the camera, the only way to document history was through the use of oral and written traditions. As time progressed, society came to possess the ability to capture a photograph whenever they felt inclined. Photography has become a testament to innovation.
Documentation and Capturing History
The use of photography has definitively altered the methodology of modern documentation and historical archiving. The creation of photography birthed the generation of photojournalism. This new form of journalism has led to every major event in history since the dawn of the 20th century has been documented in some capacity via the use of photography. In the aforementioned section, it is important to remember that history was only documented in oral and written traditions. Millenia were captured in this way until Niépce's innovative invention. While there is still much debate of the history that came before, there is a reason why the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” has come to exist.
A New Form of Art
Photography’s creation has also done what many would consider to be impossible, in that it created a replacement of art. While it was not truly a complete replacement, the necessity for painting portraits of their surroundings or of the people in their town, dwindled exponentially. Additionally, the creation of branding media has become a more lively rendition of photography that never existed before. Have you ever seen a movie where the person sits in one location for what seems like hours? There was no way to capture the more candid moments of life before the creation of photography.
The Shaping of Culture
For better or worse, photography has had a great impact on our culture. For all the documenting that occurs for historical purposes and events, there are plenty of less than ethical uses of photography. While it is not always unethical, the use of advertising is viewed often in a negative light of manipulating people. Additionally, there is a link between advertising and propaganda. Photography has been implemented in the development of propaganda to where entire campaigns have been waged. In addition to these, photography has been used to fuel political movements, cultural movements, and, of course, sexual promotions. The creation of social media platforms to show people the highlights of their lives and ultimately the idea of branding and social media personalities.
Everything in life has a give and take. For every amazing thing that a new creation provides, there are just as many negative things. The point of this article was not to highlight the positives and negatives of photography, but to show the reality of it. I believe that I painted as concise a picture as possible. I hope that you have learned something and that you have an excellent week!
Warmest regards,
Logan Clark