This post is part of a series that charts the history of photography since the 1900s. The series takes a decade-by-decade look at how the skills a photographer needs have changed in light of technological, economic, and societal change.

Rise of the smartphone

The proliferation of photography via smart phones appears to be a pervasive trend that is set to continue.  Indeed, there are many books on the subject where a budding smartphone photographer can hone their skills, such as Jack Hollingsworth’s (2023) 52 assignments – iphone photography, published by Ammonite Press (amongst many others).

What does this mean for the future of the humble camera? Pritchard (2015) addresses this very question in his book, tracing the development of the camera over the decades:

‘For many people, their smartphone is their only camera, and this trend looks set to continue.In a world where the best-selling cameras are phones, dedicated cameras may seem destined to become speciality tools. Yet the legacy of older cameras and photography’s analogue years lives on, not just in museums and collector’s hordes, but in apps like Instagram and Hipstamatic, showing that classic cameras exert an enduring fascination.’

(Pritchard, 2015).

Whether the ubiquitous smartphone camera represents an existential threat to the camera remains to be seen. What is clear is that the skills needed to keep pace and operate the latest means of taking a photograph are always evolving, and the photographer has to try to stay one step ahead.

Selfies

According to Bishnoi (2018), the first ever ‘selfie’ was taken in 1839 by Robert Cornelius, an amateur photographer who took a picture of himself in his family’s chandelier store. However, the term ‘selfie’ didn’t come into common currency until 2002.

Later, in 2013, the term was included in the Oxford English Dictionary.  Bishnoi also predicts that the selfie is a trend that is likely to continue, with the rise in social media use, the availability of filters via apps and the popularity of smart phones.  This all points to an awareness on the part of the photographer to not only keep up with editing apps and filters but also to have a good grasp on the marketing opportunities that social media sites provide.

Death of Sontag

In 2004, Susan Sontag, author of the seminal work ‘On photography’ from the 1970s, sadly passed away.

Moser, writing for The Guardian, recounts Sontag’s final years against the backdrop of the war in Iraq and the shocking photographs that emerged from the Abu Ghraib prison under the control of the US forces (Moser, 2019).

The rise of the smart phone camera enabled the American troops to share distressing images of the captured Iraqis with friends like never before.  Sontag’s earlier quote, “To photograph people is to violate them,” took on a haunting resonance when viewed alongside the images of the tortured Iraqis. Perhaps one of Sontag’s most lasting legacies for photographers is to question the ethics of why we photograph what we do – a theme that recurs throughout the decades.

Aerial photography

Another good example of how photography has broken into the mainstream where it was once niche is aerial photography – largely due to the availability of drones.  According to Waxman (2018) the first aerial photograph dates as far back as 1858 taken from a hot air balloon, just outside Paris. However, it wasn’t until World War Two that aerial photography really took off (pardon the pun). Military commanders seized the opportunities aerial photography gave them on reconnaissance missions, revealing enemy positions and informing battle plans (Waxman, 2018). The technology of being able to take images from above simply wasn’t available to the average photographer until now. Smith (2022) recounts the rise of drones and how they have become readily available on the market, and has published extensive guidance for photographers, including rules of composition, safety regulations and post-production editing techniques.

‘That is precisely what makes today’s everyday drones so remarkable. Until just a few years ago, the pursuit of aerial photography was mostly limited to the military, dedicated hobbyists, and people with access to full-size aircraft. Today’s store-bought drones are comparatively cheap, take high-quality images and video, and are easy to learn to fly.’

(Waxman, 2018).

Back in 2018, I was lucky enough to make use of a friend’s drone to record a run over Dartmoor (see Fig. 15). The video gives you a sense of what is possible and drones have increasingly been used by wedding photographers to capture novelty shots.

Enjoying the series? Jump back to the 1990s or forward to Part Two of the 2000s and beyond.

Relevant Photography Skills in the 2000s and Beyond

• Operating a drone (optional): I think the skill of operating a drone to take images could be useful, but may not apply to all fields of photography, which is why I’ve added the ‘optional’. 

There are certain restrictions concerning drones where you simply may not be allowed to use them and it’s worth being mindful of what is permitted on a location by location basis. 

Furthermore, aerial photography may work really well for landscape photographers, but it’s arguably less important for those who focus on portraiture.

• Digital marketing: An understanding of digital marketing in order to showcase your work to potential clients.

‘Social media networking is a relatively new but increasingly widely used way of communicating and sharing information. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter provide users with simple tools to create a custom profile using text and pictures, and they can be a valuable tool for photographers.’

(Fox, 2012)

References

Fox, A., Caruana, N. (2012) ‘Basics Creative Photography 03: Behind the Image: Research in Photography.’ AVA Publishing SA. 

Pritchard, M. (2015). ‘A history of photography in 50 cameras.’ Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

Sontag, S. (2014). ‘On photography.’ Penguin.

Waxman, O. (2018). ‘Aerial photography has changed the world. Drones are just the latest example.’ In TIME magazine [online]. Available at: https://time.com/5281295/aerial-photography-history-drones/ [Accessed 2 June 2023].