The Influence of Photography Essay Sample

Everyone has something to say and a story to tell, however, sometimes words just aren't enough. That’s where the power of a photograph comes into play. Photography allows you to read and interpret people's emotions and situations, sometimes better in a visual capacity, compared to an oral one. With the help of our technology in the 21st century, extraordinary elements are now achievable that would have otherwise been impossible or difficult to attain in previous years. With the first digital cameras in 1995, users could capture and view photos with no film, negatives, or physical prints. Then, cameras on mobile devices followed, providing an even simpler way to share images. However, the resolution and quality of these photos were typically not the best they could be, leaving the user with a lot to be desired. Although, as digital cameras and mobile phone improvements progressed in technology, higher-quality images became possible. Picture taking and picture sharing have increasingly grown in popularity and are arguably one of the most profound effects that digital photography has had. Beginning in 2007, the year Apple released its first iPhone, so-called smartphones became increasingly more common, as did picture-sharing apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, allowing users to upload photos from their phones to the Internet in a matter of seconds. The benefit of digital photography lies in its ability to allow an individual to evaluate the quality of an image immediately after they have captured it, thus making it seamless for photo editing and ensuring that it produced a perfect picture every time. As a result, camera images became simpler and more convenient to upload and share on the internet, a feature that many businesses around the world have taken advantage of and use today. While digital photography makes it easier to capture and share images, it has also resulted in the loss of physical photographs because people have largely abandoned them in favor of a more convenient digital formatting system. 

Notably, the influence of photography remains prevalent and has had an enormous impact specifically on all aspects of the art and design process. However, are these influences all positive, or are there negative side effects caused by digital design and technological advancements in the 21st century?

 Photography has the power to move people, to inspire them positively, and it’s also a visually stimulating tool that can help those who are non-verbal communicate. A photograph provides the viewer a glimpse into a person’s mind, as well as the ability to communicate and convey messages. To the same extent, combining images and text allows us to play with the meaning of any image. In my opinion, I think the widespread acceptance of Internet memes demonstrates how different meanings can be associated with different images, whether they are accompanied by text or accompanied by another image. Memetic images inspire people and convey messages through humor and relatability. According to author Limor Shifman, memetic success relies on a key feature called “simple packaging,” “when people understand something quickly and intuitively they are happy to forward it to others. It also encourages memetic responses since simple content is easy to imitate. Humor augments sharing, as people wish to amuse their friends and to be associated with wittiness, but it also augments the tendency to imitate and remake content” (Shifman 2014 p94-96). Thus, photography influences 21st-century design by pairing humor and relatable perplexities with a photo image to create digital content, such as memes, inevitably inspiring others to share or create their content. 

Photography is becoming an increasingly prominent way for our current generation to document its everyday activities. Bloggers, influencers, and celebrities use social media to share their day-to-day activities with their followers. Thus, the average person has come to terms with sharing photos and videos of their everyday activities as a way of life and normalcy to communicate with family and friends. As a result, people today feel a need to capture their breakfast, lunch, dinner, and every single moment in their lives. Photography has also affected the infamous “selfie” images commonly taken today as well. Because of advances in photography, selfies have grown so much that people can now purchase selfie sticks to assist them in capturing a perfect selfie. In addition, social media apps have helped make selfies increasingly popular, as users are more inclined to share what they’re doing via these apps. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (AAFPRS) conducted a study in 2017 which resulted in finding out that 55% of facial cosmetic surgeons saw patients who wanted to look better in selfies, an increase of 13% from the year prior. The study encompassed individuals who were primarily in their 20s and 30s and just simply unhappy with their outward appearance, resulting in poor selfies from unfavorable angles. Because of this, people neglect to live presently in the moment, as society has become overly consumed with their digital devices and the many features they provide, resulting in a negative effect on society’s mental health.

Further, the influence of photography is also prevalent within the fashion industry. Fashion photography is a very popular genre to photograph, since it not only serves as a medium for advertising but also simplifies the job for fashion designers and models. By utilizing a photographer, each designer can convey their creative thoughts and ideas in a visually tailored to their unique brand aesthetic. The role of a designer is to design; without having the aid of a photographer, a designer would need to fulfill additional roles and responsibilities, causing unnecessary challenges they could have avoided. Through conceptualizing and creating unique photoshoot concepts, photographers influence the fashion industry by displaying different fashion brands visually in advertisements and magazines. Photographers also build portfolios of work for models and other professionals within the industry.

In summary, photography remains influential in 21st-century digital design by shaping the rationality, functionality, simplified forms, and mass production of art as we know it. The interactive nature of digital technology has narrowed the boundaries between artists and their target audiences, as well as the interaction between these two groups. Today, artists and creatives from around the world have the power to connect with their audiences seamlessly without having to leave the comfort of their own homes. Notably, artists have adapted these digital advancements into all areas of their creative pursuits, such as simplified forms, rationality, functionality, and that mass production can live in harmony with the artistic spirit of individuality.