Although I have had this blog for, I guess 4 or 5 years now, I don’t know all the ins and outs, so I will not risk the possibility of giving away anyone’s privacy. However, there was a person that made a comment on my post, Photography.
I must admit it hit me hard in that, for a short time, it confused me. I just couldn’t imagine anyone not having a regular camera, with shutter speeds, f-stops and focus.
It made me realize that I have lived through a total evolution of technology. I actually saw the use of the big press cameras that used the flash bulbs. Back when I was a boy, most photos were black & white. Color was something reserved for Christmas and Easter pictures. The color was very expensive.
I took most of my pictures in slides, which saved a lot of money. It did have the drawback of needing the slide projector and darkening of the room, but what huge and bright brilliant images. I guess the regular screen was about 4X5 feet. However, I used bed sheets and still the image was sharp.
I’m not sure, but I think that some of the old slides rival the resolution of all but the most expensive electronic images today.
The technology really affected 5 major industries. Naturally, it hit the photographers, pro and amateur. Consider the wedding photographers. Their biggest competition now is the customer with a cell phone.
The TV industry, just a decade or so ago went through an enormous revolution. One day, the images, size and resolution, takes a huge step forward.
Perhaps the largest change is in personal photography. In the past, you heard, “Quick, Jim. Get the camera. I think Joey’s going to take his first step!” Today, you just keep your phone handy. If it turns out to be a false alarm, you can just remove the video. On the other hand, you can keep it. The memory cards are cheap.
You would think the big silver screen would be immune to the change and the huge reels of plastic would last forever. Not so. I suspect within a decade or two all film images will fall by the wayside, and replaced by the microchips.
I suppose the biggest change is the media itself. Kodak used to be a big part of US industry. No more need for instant film development. Polaroid, to the best of my knowledge, no longer makes any kind of film.
It makes me wonder about Technicolor and all their competitors. Personally, I liked Technicolor. The images always seemed to have a special brilliance.
I am sure I have overlooked a lot. On the other hand, is it really practical to include it all in one large post.
I guess the one comment might seem small to many. To me, it launched me into a lifetime of memories. Memories of memories, so to speak.
Thanks .