Snapshot into the past
The world of photography has drastically changed over the last 100 years with technology constantly improving it, and this has caused our view of photography to be changed as well. These advancements in photography technology have caused many people to underappreciate photography due to how easily accessible cameras have become. Photos were seen as a delicacy in the past as many didn’t have access to cameras, so when a photo was taken it was seen as very important. But nowadays more photos than ever are being taken due to how easily accessible cameras have become, which has the appreciation for photos to massively deteriorate. In this project, I aim to change this perception of photography.
This project will involve people interacting with a set of cameras throughout the last 70 years showing the evolution of camera technology and allowing people to gain a higher understanding of what photography was like in the past. The way I will achieve this will be by having a blank studio with a large white photo backdrop canvas, with an array of cameras set up. The cameras I will be using to show this development will be Kodak Brownie (1950s), Nikon F2 (1970s), Nikon D1 (2000s), Canon EOS 4000D (2020s), and a smartphone camera. I was trying to get a camera from each era that had a significant change in its performance to truly show the development of this technology. From the studio I will be inviting people in off the street allowing them to take photos of themselves or others, starting from the older cameras to the new, as well as offering information about each camera. At the end of this experience, you will get the option to print and develop these photos, as well as all the photos being uploaded online, which hopefully creates a personalized experience for those involved as well as giving them memories to take away. This project will teach people the evolution of photography firsthand as well as empower non-designs to gain a higher appreciation of photography.
This project will allow those to truly get an understanding of what photography is and how it has evolved throughout the years. Letting people interact with each camera will show them how different the technology has changed and allow them to form their own opinion of each camera and what they like or don’t like about it. By granting people the option of getting their photos will allow them to keep a memory of the experience and hopefully allow them to appreciate photography on a deeper level.