Numerous breakthroughs in technology have allowed people to live better, travel faster, and experience more genuinely. The art of photography has become a hobby and a profession for millions of people all over the world, allowing them to capture unique moments, share their images, and inspire others. With a smartphone or a cheap digital camera accessible to almost everyone, there is no lack of exciting captions at which one can marvel. However, it is necessary to discern between the desire to take pictures of everything one sees (or eats) and the endeavor to create art reflecting impeccable nature, sincere emotions, and exclusive events.
Undoubtedly, the lion’s share of all photos taken belongs to smartphone and tablet owners. Statistics indicate that over 1.2 trillion photos were taken in 2017, which corresponds to 160 images made by every person on the planet (“Mind-Blowing Statistics”). Out of those, 85% were on smartphones, 4.7% – on tablets, and 10.3% – on digital cameras. The reason why the percentage of photographs taken by digital cameras in 2017 was so low is that the camera sales business had been declining over several years before 2017 and continues to fall (“Mind-Blowing Statistics”). However, if the first few generations of smartphones did not allow making high-quality images, the most recent gadgets produce photos of the best quality, thus making it possible for people to save money and effort they might need to buy an expensive camera and carry it around.
However, along with those preferring to simplify their lives, some photographers cannot imagine pictures being taken by a smartphone and kept on an unreliable device that can be easily lost, stolen, or broken. Thus, there are many of those possessing a digital single-lens reflex camera (“Mind-Blowing Statistics”). While it is more difficult to share images from such devices, new technologies are constantly developed to make this process easier and faster. Along with that, applications are created to prevent image theft (“Mind-Blowing Statistics”). Thus, whether photography is one’s hobby or profession, one can feel secure about one’s pictures.
No matter what hi-tech equipment a person can afford, it will not guarantee marvelous photos without talent or a creative approach. As Kelsey posits, photography is the art of chance (2). Furthermore, the author notes that the modern understanding of photography involves viewing the art as “a semiotic and social form” (Kelsey 250). For true artists, the number of images taken does not matter as much as the quality and uniqueness of a place, emotion, or phenomenon captured. While some people choose photographing events (weddings, proms, parties) as a well-paid job, others find spare moments in their hectic schedules to take pictures of truly beautiful things. They may never be paid for such images, but the appreciation of the moment is the best reward for them. Technologies may have altered the world of photography, but there will always be individuals with an exceptional sense of beauty not requiring innovations.
Millions of people take photos daily in all parts of the world. However, probably only thousands of them manage to capture something purely touching the soul. Indeed, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so photographers have the power to capture the marvels of nature and share them with others. Whether one’s images are the result of a hobby or a professional photo shoot, the most important thing is to keep them alive by taking them with all the sincerity one has.
Works Cited
Kelsey, Robin. Photography and the Art of Chance. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2015.
“Mind-Blowing Statistics for Mobile Photography: What’s New and the Best Trend?” Moblivious, n.d., Web.