Is photography dead?

Since the birth of Mac, I had started to follow every thing about digital imaging. Of course, at that period, I was still taking and teaching traditional photography.

I have said that since the true 720 dpi inkjet printer, I began to work with digital cameras.

Everyone aware that digital photography has become popular just a few years ago.

Will digital photography become the new heir to photography? Not at all.

It is possible that taking photos is not photography, at least, the one that we have loved and devoted for tens of years.

I am never a conservative and readily to accept anything new. But, we must not mess anything without checking the truth. Digital photos may not be photos. Why? It is not created visually. Most of them are created technically instead.

This is not a sin, at least, not the digital imaging technology. In fact, such deviation started when cameras became fully automatic.

With higher pixels and great output technology, making poster size prints is easy and anyone can manage. The photo-taking technique becomes the technique of choosing the best camera with all the functions. We can check the essay "Breaking the Myth of Megapixels" about this.

So, what is wrong? The problem is the concept of imaging. I have reviewed this for a number of years. Not matter what the media has become, not matter how the new generations have different taste or style, and one thing would remain unchanged: our vision remains the same. Unless the DNA will evolve into something we do not know, human will keep the same kind of visual sensation. In simple words, our definition of ugly and beauty is unchanged.

There are trends, from fat to skinny, from harmonic to contrast colors, from equilibrium to impact etc.

Just check how many photo takers would review their works, how long will they look at their own photos. It becomes a trend to take photo with digital cameras, camphone or PDA. From the first to the thousandth shots, one can hardly find any improvement. Fortunately, there is no harmful chemical created since most of these images may never be printed at all.

Yes, I can see more digital camera users. But, I cannot see any one learning photography in digital way. Pressing the shutter, manipulating images with Photoshop may look like the modern photographic process. Yet, the final image is nothing photographically, just recorded images only.