I was driving near Oregon State University like I typically do. The weather was sunny and gorgeous. As students walked or biked to their respective destinations, one student in particular caught my eye. She was bending down to take a photo of a daisy in the lawn just off the sidewalk. I had to smile. In the midst of the hustle-bustle of life's demands, she took a moment to stop and capture a tiny sliver of nature while on her way to her destination.
When I was a kid, I had my very own Kodak Instamatic Camera. The father mailed it to me for my 11th birthday. Living in Hawaii at the time, I remember how I'd take pictures of flowers or my pets or the scenery. When the film was full, I'd mail it back to the father who would develop it and send the photos back. All of this would take a month, sometimes longer. I would not-so-patiently wait for the mother to get home from work, hoping the photo package would be part of the mail she'd picked up from the post office.
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But then something magical happened. Digital photography happened. Comparatively tiny, pocket-sized cameras with high-resolution capabilities happened. Easily accessible computers with decent photo editing software happened. Risk-free photography happened. What a fabulous concept!
Now, kids can pull their telephone out of their pocket, snap a photo and post it on social media sites, all in a matter of seconds.
And not just still-photos but movies! When I was a kid, movie-watching was a big production that required setting up a portable screen and noisy projector.
Kids and young adults of today's world can't possibly understand how we older people marvel over modern technologies. To them it's just everyday stuff.
When I see youngsters taking photographs of little flowers or whatever, I'm reminded of that Me of long ago. And I'm happy to witness the improvements.
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I agree that digital photography certainly has helped many of us risk and notice and share....I had the same camera Grace....with those flash bulbs...ah the memories
ReplyDeleteI remember those days. I also remember when they first came out with the Polaroid instant cameras. Wow! We thought they were so neat to get those pictures without sending them away. LOL! The pictures faded over time though. Yes we have come a long way and for those of us that love to snap those pictures this digital age is so wonderful. Instant gratification. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI've always liked to take pictures, but I enjoy it so much more now that digital photography has taken hold. While jogging last week I must have stopped five times to take pictures of flowers and blossoms with my iPhone :)
ReplyDeleteKim and I worked in the photography business (on the printing side) for at least 20 years. We certainly marvel at the progress that has been made in that field, and even though it essentially drove us out of our jobs, we still embrace it.
ReplyDeleteI remember my first little kodak camera... a little "box." I was about 9 years old and I was hooked!! I believe I took photos of everything! ha. Even though it was all in black and white.
ReplyDeleteDon't you love the progress that has been made?? I love the ability to zoom and take the macro photos. It's all good, I think. (Though I do seem to keep wayyyy too many on the computer. ha.