Photography

The compact, portable and easy-to-use nature of modern digital cameras has made them one of the most prolific and versatile pieces of technology, gaining popularity at a seemingly unstoppable pace. It seems that most people nowadays have a digital camera around somewhere, and even the most techno-phobic of people are likely to own one. This is because they are incredibly versatile, and can be used for a large number of purposes, not just to take photos and films of your friends, family and loved ones.

Amateur photography in particular has exploded, sometimes literally, in its size and reach in society. With the right digital camera, an artistic eye and patience to learn, anyone from a high school pupil to a pensioner can create their own artworks inexpensively and easily. This in turn has lead to more unusual forms of art, such as fractal art, that can only be created with a digital camera and computer manipulation. There are some artists nowadays that only work in this type of medium, which would have been impossible only ten years ago, so it could be argued that they are helping to create a new art form and making waves in the industry.

This does not mean that artistic ability in society has suddenly increased because there is a new and accessible medium around. In fact, it makes it painfully obvious that many people possess no artistic talent whatsoever, and the ‘artwork’ that they produce and send out into the world has no more merit than a botched painting or flawed poem.