Moving on, there are
many reasons why people take pictures, and many ways in which they can do so.
These days, everyone can be a photographer with the smartphone era. Some
smartphone cameras are better than digital cameras. Others have “point and
shoot” digital cameras with little in the way of setting adjustment. DSLR cameras,
the ones with interchangeable lenses are also tools that can be used, and is my
personal favorite, as you can really change settings to get the image you want.
Film cameras are also another tool to take photographs, as well as polaroid
cameras. Each of these types of cameras gives a different feel to the final
product. Smartphones are instant, ready to share, whereas digital cameras –
point and shoot, and DSLR – may take some time because you must upload the images
to a computer to be able to share them. Film takes a long time to develop and
it must be done in a particular way. Polaroids are a lot of fun, you get an
instant mini photo but you can’t easily share it digitally unless you take a
picture of the picture. The polaroid camera is somewhat nostalgic of an era
where many of those who are using them did not live. It’s a novelty, not to
mention expensive per print. It’s kind of cool that within photography medium
of photography there are so many sub-media. Now that we know a little bit about
how people take pictures, we can focus on why people take pictures.
What are some of the
reasons that people feel compelled to take photos? Some choose to document
major life events through photos – prom, weddings, graduations, baby’s first steps,
etc., are all captured in photographs to remember later. Some use photography
to remember daily activities, the little moments. Some use it for professional
public relations, such as a club or company Instagram or website. Others use it
to document social interactions which are then posted online. Many of my peers
go as far as to stop what they are doing and stage a photo that will get them a
lot of likes on social media. They are essentially making a spectacle of
themselves to be shared with the world. They are posting this photo to be
popular, to share with everyone what they are doing. We are truly a Society of the Spectacle. This concept reminded
me a lot of The Circle and how social
media was such a vital part of their community – to the point where it was
superficial and not positive.
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