@ACPress
We took a good look at photography things we once covered
and, wow, things have changed.
Despite occasional aspirations to do more, most Americans essentially snapshooters. It has been this way ever since the original Kodak box camera.
The old Kodak slogan "You push the button, we do the rest" set a pattern for camera use outlasting the original company itself.
Today, there is something photographic for every interest, just not as many choices.
There are always "professional quality" cameras and fewer for amateurs. A few remain for the "enthusiast" market as well.
Put Smartphones have thinned the herd and video has progressed to the point where "indie" [independent] films shot digitally compare favorably with Hollywood products.
Today you can go online to the Goodwill thrift store and purchase a dozen compact cameras for far less money than one of them originally cost.
Prices, when you take into account inflation, are not more than the first automatic 35mm SLR cameras from the 1970s.
And, if like me, you don't need the absolute brand new latest, a used camera from just 5 years ago has dropped in price dramatically, just like laptops. Some examples will be explored elsewhere.
People still enjoy photography but I will not be addressing those who shoot with camera phones. There's nothing much to say against them but there's nothing much additional to say about them at this time.
I concentrate on more unusual or so-called artistic cameras. Also a few that are overlooked. Ones that may change your way of the seeing world.
For a lot of people, photography as they once knew it is gone. Entire generations of photographers have never held a paper print in their hand.
Are there still enthusiasts making gorgeous prints? Of course. But for those of you who work with computers to finalize images there is a photography golden age happening and I'll try to fill you in on some of the remarkable things you can now do that were only dreamed of 10 years ago.
We'll look into what still may be useful and what to avoid. But lets start with a bit of consumer history.
Thanks for reading this!
