The Future of Photography

When looking at the history of photography on a timeline, it is clear that in comparison with other innovative discoveries, the practice of capturing images is still very new, and in recent years the growth has been exponential, not only in photographic technology, but technology in general. When considering the history of photography it is difficult to not think of the future and speculate on the possibilities surrounding the photoimaging profession.

Light Field Photography is a buzzword making the rounds at the moment, especially since ‘Lytro’ burst onto the scene. Light Field cameras dispense with the normal optics, instead placing micro-lenses over each pixel. Combining this with some clever software gives you a camera that does not need to be focussed, in fact you can set the focus point after the shot on your computer and change it to suit. This technology is in its infancy but it has the potential to replace current lens technology allowing not only post-production focusing but also depth of field changes and possibly focal length changes.

Cross-section of the Lytro

The 'Lytro' Camera

Although it is still just a concept, Seattle firm; Artefact Group has developed a 31 megapixel, full frame sensor camera phone. According to the group, the sensor is housed within the lens, which continues to function even when removed from the body, allowing the screen to be used as a remote viewer. This technology may still be a few years off but it gives a great insight into the equipment that could be available in the not too distant future.

'Camera Futura' Concept

There are numerous cameras available now with built in GPS. Virtually all cameras on the market have face recognition, automatic focus, and a database of scenes to determine exposure. Taking this forward a few years, industry professionals believe cameras will have a constant connection to the internet, not only to upload but to download information that can be collated with the GPS data to determine exactly what you are looking at, virtually anywhere in the world. By referencing all of this data, the camera could, quite possibly, tell you the best positions for shooting. Yes I know this will always be subjective, but what it does mean is that the average, non-photographer will not have to think about their composition in the same way that today they don’t need to think about exposure or focus.

There is, of course, much more that can and will happen, some of it obvious. The increase of megapixels and dynamic range, the increased connectivity, but there is probably also much more waiting in the minds of brilliant photographic engineers and scientists that we cannot even begin to comprehend yet. Part of what makes us human is the desire not only to look at the past, but to also contemplate the future and consider how we as a species will progress technologically.

The Creation of Digital Photography

Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)  

After film photography, of course, came the era of digital photography and although it seems like very new medium, digital imaging has actually been around for a few decades.

On October 17, 1969, George Smith and Willard Boyle invented the charge-coupled device (CCD) at Bell Labs. In 1970 the inventors built a CCD into the first solid-state video camera.

A digital image sensor like the CCD works similarly to film in that it records light that is exposed, however, instead of physically storing the resulting latent image, the sensor will transfer the recorded light into a digital reading.

Today, CCD technology is pervasive not only in photography but also in video applications that range from endoscopy to high-definition television. Facsimile machines, copying machines, image scanners, digital still cameras, and bar code readers also have employed CCDs to turn patterns of light into useful information.

Sony Mavica (1981)

However, it wasn’t until 1981 that Sony Corporation released the first prototype digital camera. The Sony Mavica (at this stage labeled the first electronic camera) used two CCD chips to record images onto a floppy disk that held a total of 25 images. While the Mavica wasn’t technically the digital camera that we know today, it did spark interest in digital image making.

Dycam Model 1 (1990)

The first commercially available digital camera was released in 1990, the Dycam Model 1. It used a CCD image sensor, stored pictures digitally, and connected directly to a computer for download. The Dycam Model 1 had a fixed focus f/4.5 lens, shot at a non-variable 200 ISO and produced only Black and White images. Although 20 years since it’s production, the Dycam seems like ancient technology, this camera put digital photography in the hands of the public and helped start the digital revolution.

Today it is almost impossible to be a professional photographer without having the capability to work with digital technology. Over 40 years after the invention of the CCD sensor, humanity has witnessed an astronomical leap in the way photographs are captured and stored, no body truly knows what the future holds for photography as a profession.