Has digital photography irreversibly computerized the art of photography?

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PhotographyBuff

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Is there any way to free our photography from the computer?

Don't you see digital photography's reliance on the computer as a handicap?

How can we photographers free ourselves of this handicap?

Do you think it's fair that photography has become so dependent on the computer?

Someone once told me that he was converting his digital photos into slides. Is that feasible? How is it done? And how much does it cost? If it is, then I think it would be a good way to finally free photography (in this digital age) from the computer.

I take my photos in nature, but unfortunately I have to manage and process them in the computer!
 
PhotographyBuff said:
Is there any way to free our photography from the computer?

Don't you see digital photography's reliance on the computer as a handicap?

How can we photographers free ourselves of this handicap?

Do you think it's fair that photography has become so dependent on the computer?

Someone once told me that he was converting his digital photos into slides. Is that feasible? How is it done? And how much does it cost? If it is, then I think it would be a good way to finally free photography (in this digital age) from the computer.

I take my photos in nature, but unfortunately I have to manage and process them in the computer!
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Use film, it's still available and still works.
 
PhotographyBuff said:
Is there any way to free our photography from the computer?

Don't you see digital photography's reliance on the computer as a handicap?

How can we photographers free ourselves of this handicap?

Do you think it's fair that photography has become so dependent on the computer?

Someone once told me that he was converting his digital photos into slides. Is that feasible? How is it done? And how much does it cost? If it is, then I think it would be a good way to finally free photography (in this digital age) from the computer.

I take my photos in nature, but unfortunately I have to manage and process them in the computer!
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Why is this a handicap? And I don't understand what you mean by "I take my photos in nature". Can you expand a bit?
 
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PhotographyBuff said:
1) Is there any way to free our photography from the computer?

2) Don't you see digital photography's reliance on the computer as a handicap?

3) How can we photographers free ourselves of this handicap?

4) Do you think it's fair that photography has become so dependent on the computer?

5) Someone once told me that he was converting his digital photos into slides. Is that feasible? How is it done? And how much does it cost? If it is, then I think it would be a good way to finally free photography (in this digital age) from the computer.

I take my photos in nature, but unfortunately I have to manage and process them in the computer!
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1) Film.
2) Not at all. Needing a darkroom for film photography is far more
of one.
3) It's possible to print straight from a card (PictBridge).
4) As above, it's not.
5) http://www.digitalslides.co.uk/wp-2013/
 
Moving forward - not a Handicap and as said, if this is how you feel buy an SLR and a roll of Agfa film

Problem solved - Handicap gone

Les;)
 
I learned to develop film back when I was about 8, these days I can do a 14 hour wedding, get home, have dinner, get on the mac and process all the images within 24 hours, Definitely not a handicap ;-)

The only thing I do miss is the slight colour difference and grain on some films but I can still get an image to replicate that pretty much with an hour of spare time etc!

Don't assume that digital is handicapped, I would never have dreamt of doing long exposures with film in this day and age!
 
jon ryan said:
Why is this a handicap?
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Everything is becoming computerized:

a) We write using word processors.

b) We compose music using music software.

c) We manage and process our digital photos on the computer.

d) We socialize using social networks.

There comes a time that we need to go away into nature and free ourselves from the computer. I yearn for the time when everything was separate. Now everything has become unified in one tool which is the computer, and for many people the smart phone even. I think diversity is better and healthier for our minds.
 
jon ryan said:
I don't understand what you mean by "I take my photos in nature". Can you expand a bit?
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Don't you know about nature photography? I enjoy spending time in nature and taking photos of nature. But the problem is that with a digital camera, there is no way to enjoy the photos in their full splendour unless you upload and view them on a computer.
 
PhotographyBuff said:
Everything is becoming computerized:

a) We write using word processors.

b) We compose music using music software.

c) We manage and process our digital photos on the computer.

d) We socialize using social networks.

There comes a time that we need to go away into nature and free ourselves from the computer. I yearn for the time when everything was separate. Now everything has become unified in one tool which is the computer, and for many people the smart phone even. I think diversity is better and healthier for our minds.
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Each to his own, I guess.

I can speak to friends and relatives on the other side of the planet, free. I can send pictures to my clients seconds after taking them. I have far more control over the pictures I take, both in camera and at the processing stage, and don't have to work with poisonous chemicals to produce them. I can call up pretty much any song or book ever written in seconds.

I don't see any of those as drawbacks.
 
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PhotographyBuff said:
Don't you know about nature photography? I enjoy spending time in nature and taking photos of nature. But the problem is that with a digital camera, there is no way to enjoy the photos in their full splendour unless you upload and view them on a computer.
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So don't upload them onto a computer! :shrug:
 
a), b) and d) all "No". c) Yes but only the digital ones.
 
jon ryan said:
So don't upload them onto a computer! :shrug:
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That's no solution. How do you store them then? You have no film. Your "film" is the digital file you can access only through the computer.
 
Good film cameras are very cheap second hand, and film is still readily available.

If you don't like digital go film.
 
PhotographyBuff said:
That's no solution. How do you store them then? You have no film. Your "film" is the digital file you can access only through the computer.
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I really don't see the point of any of this. If you don't like digital photography, don't do digital photography.

Any more problems you'd like solved? :thinking:
 
PhotographyBuff said:
Don't you know about nature photography? I enjoy spending time in nature and taking photos of nature. But the problem is that with a digital camera, there is no way to enjoy the photos in their full splendour unless you upload and view them on a computer.
Click to expand...

Even with digital photos, I dislike viewing them on a computer. They're too small/low resolution compared to big prints.
Your original question was probably badly worded and asked "Has digital photography irreversibly computerised the art of photography?" As has been said by plenty of us, not all aspects have been! It's made a lot of things a lot easier with digital shots but there are still plenty of film users in the world (and on this forum).
 
Nod said:
Even with digital photos, I dislike viewing them on a computer. They're too small/low resolution compared to big prints.
Your original question was probably badly worded and asked "Has digital photography irreversibly computerised the art of photography?" As has been said by plenty of us, not all aspects have been! It's made a lot of things a lot easier with digital shots but there are still plenty of film users in the world (and on this forum).
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Yeah. But I passed on to digital photography mainly because it's cheaper and because you can take unlimited photos and don't have to print everything. But I guess printing the best ones or turning them into slides would free them from the computer and provide a good way to preserve them in non-digital form.
 
As already said, if you don't want to rely on a computer, use film. Just make sure that you avoid cameras with built in meters and electronic shutters, because they will contain a computer or something akin to one. If the camera needs a battery, avoid it.

A darkroom will either take up permanent space or be difficult to set up and take down each time; whether this is a trade off for the convenience and better prints that you'll get from using a digital camera (you'll find colour a doddle with digital, and the prints will be more permanent) is up to you.

It is always possible to use a digital camera (even if they all have some form of computer built in) and get the images printed by a company that have a digital enlarger onto conventional paper.

I speak as a film photographer who uses totally manual cameras for other reasons than hating digital or computers.
 
FF DSLR = about a grand second hand. A very good film SLR body can be had for less than £100. £900 buys a lot of film and D&P...
 
PhotographyBuff said:
You can delete photos from the memory card. But you can't do that with film.
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You can more easily copy data from a memory card than make a copy negative; and the copy will be identical. I have my scanned imaged in more than one place; but my negative files are unique.
 
Digital freed photography from reliance on single use recording media, a dark room or bag, developing tank, a bunch of chemicals and space to hang your negatives up to dry (obviously excluding instant film from this) and then moved it to a box of electronics that's getting increasingly smaller and more powerful over time.

You can view, process, sort and publish on anything from a desktop PC to a mobile phone now and with some cameras you don't even need the second device at all. The only way it could be more free of extra requirements is if you didn't need a camera.
 
PhotographyBuff said:
Everything is becoming computerized:

a) We write using word processors.

b) We compose music using music software.

c) We manage and process our digital photos on the computer.

d) We socialize using social networks.
Click to expand...

All of that is your choice. You can write with pen and paper, compose music without software, shoot film and actually go out and meet people.

The computerised (no z as we're not American!) part is purely convenience over quality.

PhotographyBuff said:
You can delete photos from the memory card. But you can't do that with film.
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A bit of sandpaper should do it!


Steve.
 
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PhotographyBuff said:
Everything is becoming computerized:

a) We write using word processors.

b) We compose music using music software.

c) We manage and process our digital photos on the computer.

d) We socialize using social networks.

There comes a time that we need to go away into nature and free ourselves from the computer. I yearn for the time when everything was separate. Now everything has become unified in one tool which is the computer, and for many people the smart phone even. I think diversity is better and healthier for our minds.
Click to expand...

Not one of those things is a must.

I love the digital world, but if I wanted to do things the analogue way I could easily. I know many people that do.

I don't believe for a second that you see all of this as a disadvantage, like I said, there are many people who exist as if the digital age hadn't happened, and they're as happy with their lot as I am with mine.

Switch off the PC, go buy a film camera and some books, you need never switch on your PC again.
 
Steve Smith said:
All of that is your choice. You can write with pen and paper, compose music without software, shoot film and actually go out and meet people.

The computerised (no z as we're not American!) part is purely convenience over quality.
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I agree. But somehow, I am still one of those who are not very reliant on technology. Many people I know are hooked to their smartphones almost 24/7!!! How can you even socialize with such people?
 
PhotographyBuff said:
I agree. But somehow, I am still one of those who are not very reliant on technology. Many people I know are hooked to their smartphones almost 24/7!!! How can you even socialize with such people?
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That's why I don't have any type of mobile phone.

If you go out anywhere (pubs, tourist attractions, etc) you can see plenty of couples sitting opposite each other but paying no attention to each other whilst tapping away at their phones.

I decided not to be part of that. And if I go out, I don't want to be contactable.

Phil V said:
Switch off the PC, go buy a film camera and some books, you need never switch on your PC again.
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I will give the OP a film camera if he wants to try one out.


Steve.
 
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PhotographyBuff said:
I agree. But somehow, I am still one of those who are not very reliant on technology. Many people I know are hooked to their smartphones almost 24/7!!! How can you even socialize with such people?
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The same way you socialise with people who frequent bars or sports clubs. You choose to join them or you socialise with people who are 'more your type'.

I'm tempted to say 'Simples', but it's not really me :D
 
Shoot on film.

Get rid of your computer. No seriously, please, get rid of your computer.

(Wait, is your stress over this going to drive you to climb a school clock tower with a large calibre firearm????)
 
Life.%2B15%2Byears%2Bago%2Bvs%2Btoday.jpeg
 
I don't understand what you're saying here. It's difficult for a lot of people to avoid the impact of computer technology in their working lives - it depends what you do for a living - but you can certainly minimise it in much of your your personal life, if that's what you want. To use your own examples:

Writing: You don't have to use a word processor, you can write by hand. I use a fountain pen for writing personal notes and so on, because I prefer it.

Composing music: Most of the famous classical music in the world was composed long before computer technology was developed. You can still do this if you have the skills.

Photography: Good film cameras and the appropriate lenses are readily available, usually for far less than they originally sold for. There isn't the same choice of film now, but it's not difficult to buy film in various formats and there's no reason to suppose it's about to become extinct. Some processes (Cibachrome and Kodachrome spring to mind) are no longer available. That's a pity, but it's not the death knell for film photography. You can still obtain the chemicals and process both film and prints yourself, or outsource this step. There's a whole forum here devoted to this (Film and Conventional), and people who get a lot of satisfaction out of this medium. None of this requires a computer, unless you want to digitise the negatives.

Social networking: This is entirely up to you. I don't use Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking computer applications because they're not useful or necessary for me. I do have a smartphone and use it for sms messaging and mail too, but you don't even have to own a basic cellphone if you don't want to.

There are plenty of other examples too. I do have reservations about some of the ways computer technology has impacted our lives but, on balance, I think most of us have found far greater benefits than downsides from it.
 
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PhotographyBuff said:
I agree. But somehow, I am still one of those who are not very reliant on technology. Many people I know are hooked to their smartphones almost 24/7!!! How can you even socialize with such people?
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lol

I was in a cafe today, on an adjacent table there were half a dozen dudes sat round with a Latte each and a phone.
For the hour I was there, they didn't speak to each other at all..:shrug:
Maybe they were playing 6 player candy crush, I dunno....its nutz, not even in a cafe...over a Latte...which has to be the definition of a social environment, would they interact in real life.
Its the dumbest thing I've seen in a while...apart from that 14 year old in Asda following her parents round in a phonographic coma.
 
joxby said:
Maybe they were playing 6 player candy crush, I dunno....its nutz, not even in a cafe...over a Latte...which has to be the definition of a social environment, would they interact in real life.
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I was on the top deck of a bus last year, about three seats back from the front. On the front seat was a father and his son. Once we were moving, he received a phone call. I could faintly hear the person he was talking too so I looked round and saw that it was his wife sitting in the back with another child!

The other thing I see a lot of now is people (usually men) walking around supermarkets with their phones to their ears getting instructions from their other halves on what to buy. Much easier to write a list before you go out!


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
The other thing I see a lot of now is people (usually men) walking around supermarkets with their phones to their ears getting instructions from their other halves on what to buy. Much easier to write a list before you go out!


Steve.
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I've noticed this a lot too. Never fails to make me chuckle.
 
Mobile phones appear to be remote control devices for other people.

And why is "where are you?" the first question asked in 99% of calls?


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
Mobile phones appear to be remote control devices for other people.

And why is "where are you?" the first question asked in 99% of calls?

Steve.
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Because when phones were wired we always knew where people were when they answered.
 
From a previous thread...
PhotographyBuff said:
Hello all,
Just had an external hard disk failure. It contained several thousands of my photos not backed up elsewhere
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which as it unravelled, revealed that the problem was not so much that computers are stupid, unreliable, or inherently evil...
but that while it is only human to err from time to time.... let a human err with a computer and they can really foul it up!

Buff.... technology is the appliocation of mechanical advantage to practical purpose, and the easement of human endevour.

The lever, the wheel, the pulley, the archimedes screw, asperin, fire, all primative technology that have, throughout history allowed man to achieve great things.

The computer? Is one of the most powerful pieces of technology yet devised by man..... but like any technology, applied with ignorance it can hurt.

This is not the computer's fault, but that of it's operator.

Dependence on computers?

Yes, well, in the greater scheme of things, being reliant on a computer to store, organise, distribute and view my photographs... NOT really the biggest fear or worry in my life, even as far as computers are concerned...

My money, my debts, all on computers NOT in my control; my medical records, the government records, all that sort of stuff... whether you like it or not, makes you reliant on computers, no matter how far you might wander into the woods without a mobile telephone!

I think I might be slightly more fretful of the microprocessor controlling the engine, cruise control, traction control, and brakes in modern cars..... But even THEN.... be more worried about the nut behind the wheel.....

Microprocessors and computers are ultimately made by, and programmed by PEOPLE.... and they are every where, in everything, and in far more safety critical devices and systems than a camera!
 
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