Know what the most popular activity is this time of year? Not shopping. Not Christmas parties. Not even eating Christmas cookies. What people will do most during the holidays is take pictures. They will take pictures on their phones, tablets and occasionally a camera. With digital capabilities, taking photographs is now a free activity. So, no reason to be frugal with the pics, snap away and edit later. It is known as shotgun photography. Point and click as much as you can, knowing that a few of the shots will turn out good. It was not always so easy or free. There was time when home photographers put some thought in to what and how many photographs they would take.
After some 60 years of photography as a specialized trade, the first practical and affordable home camera was offered in 1900 by the Eastman Kodak company. The Brownie made it possible for the first time to capture the images that the consumer thought important. It also meant that the camera moved from the studio and public places in to the home. Then, in 1930 flash bulbs arrived and now photographs could be taken day or night. Color photos came along five years later and the zoom lens in 1946 allowed photographers to reach farther to capture a picture. These cameras still required some skill to operate and not every photo came out clear. In 1963 that all changed as Kodak came out with their instamatic line of point and shoot cameras. Everything changed again when digital cameras were developed in the late 1980s and early 90s. In 2000, the first camera phone hit the market and we have been snapping away ever since. Ten years ago, in 2004 Kodak ceased production of all film cameras, something inconceivable just a generation earlier.
So, what was it like back when we had to go purchase film for our camera and carefully decide what to shoot? After all, you only had 24 exposures on a roll. When that roll of film was full, a trip to the photo lab was necessary to get the film developed and printed. The busiest time of the year for those photo labs was the first half of January. There was always great anticipation waiting for the pictures to be done. Until that moment when you opened the envelop, you had no idea how the photos had turned out. Of course, then you had a choice of black and white or color film. B & W was much cheaper, but the allure of color photos soon brought the price down and, by the 1970s, color photographs were the norm.
Whether it was in the B & W, color film or digital photography of today, there has always been one constant in home photography. The fanatical photographer. You know one. The person in a family or group who is constantly taking pictures. Doesn’t matter the occasion, they see every event in their lives through the viewfinder. Nothing wrong with that if you are a professional making a living, but I have seen so many people who actually miss the event they are attending because they are so focused (yes, I know) on taking pictures. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for capturing images of memorable times in our lives. But, we must realize that the photos we take are reminders of the experience, not the experience itself. A few well taken shots can enhance the memory of times with family and friends. A preoccupation with taking pictures (or even video) leaves the photographer with only the pictures and no real memories. So, this Christmas, let’s all decide to make some new memories and consider it a plus if a few get captured on camera.
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