Life As Art

Photography: The Fountain of Youth in Pictographic Communication

Photography is one of the most literal 2-D forms of art, distinct from painting or drawing, as it enables the viewer to see through the eyes of the photographer. It captures an image, seen and remembered exactly as the photographer intends. This contemporary communication method helps develop a photographer’s style and individual photographic voice. Since its birth over 200 years ago (the first photo taken by Joseph Nicephore in 1822), photography has undergone many progressions, evolving from mere documentation to the art form of curating the perfect photo.

The transition from film to digital advanced photography both economically and as an art form, leaving a profound impact on American culture. The advent of digital photography opened up even more avenues of communication as an art form, with sophisticated digital imaging techniques using programs like Photoshop. Essentially, it allowed one’s computer to become a personal darkroom, offering lighting techniques, special effects, and mistake corrections at the touch of a button. The potential seemed infinite.

And then came the smartphone, taking photography to a whole new level. Now, you can be nowhere or anywhere, capturing, editing, and uploading photos to the cloud and sharing them with the world through your favorite social media platform. No studio is required because it’s all in the palm of your hand. Easy-to-use apps, even simpler to navigate than Photoshop, offer equal editing techniques that can transform a novice photographer into a professional in no time. Remember, photography, at its core, is an art form expressing the world as the photographer sees it.

With the abundance of editing tools, light filters, and blemish-removal features, there’s no excuse not to take great photos of minor events, people, places, and things and turn them into perfectly curated art forms. These digital tools can immortalize us mere mortals into flawless images. The quest that began 200 years ago to capture the perfect photo is now attainable almost instantly.

This pursuit of perfection in photography echoes the age-old search for the fountain of youth, which started with Spanish explorer Juan Ponce De Leon in 1493. He sought the magic fountain and rejuvenating river, promising eternal youth, but it remained elusive. In the same vein, one may wonder if the smartphone and its plethora of photo editing apps are the modern-day equivalent of the fountain of youth. After all, if you have a photo that’s not so perfect, just delete and start over. Is the goal to look flawless all the time in every photo, or is it to make every photo look like a perfectly edited magazine cover?

Indubitably, the real question is whether we have finally found the fountain of youth and, if so, to what end? The murky waters of AI underscore the pursuit of perfecting this process.

If you were to browse through a box of old film photos, you’d likely find all sorts of errors in lighting and composition. However, these mistakes and candidly captured images show character and flaws. Raw emotions captured in a photo are undeniable and not easily duplicated. Character is interesting, individualistic, and unique. In contrast, perfection can be quite dull.

In conclusion, photography, as a form of art and communication, has evolved immensely over the years. From the early days of documentation to the modern era of digital manipulation, it continues to offer new ways for us to express our vision of the world. The rise of smartphones and photo editing apps has democratized photography, making it accessible to everyone. However, in our quest for perfection, let’s not forget the charm and allure of imperfections, as they often reveal the true essence of humanity.