By Chad Coleman
Issaquah/Sammamiosh Reporter
Everywhere you look, you can see the tectonic shifts in how we share information as a culture. Much of this change is being seen in the area of photography.
New trends and technology are everywhere. Kodak recently declared bankruptcy and no longer will make digital cameras. Conversely, Nikon released two new professional DSLR camera bodies that have photographers scrambling for their checkbooks. Instagram, a photo sharing app for the iPhone, in a way has turned Twitter on its head as an image-first social media platform.
But while the tools have changed, the impact of the photograph remains.
When I started my career as a newspaper photojournalist, I spent part of my day in the darkroom developing film. I then made an early transition to using digital cameras for print publication. Now I just reach in my pocket and pull out my mobile phone.
Today it’s See – Shoot – Publish as the Internet has leveled the publishing playing field.
Never in history has there been a greater appetite for – or more difficult time to monetize – photography and visual media. Across the industry photojournalists have been laid off in favor of citizen journalism. Newsroom staffs shrink and attitudes of “good enough” pervade.But never as a culture have we had this amazing ability to “see it” and not just hear about it.
My mom recently called and described to me the more than 30 hot air balloons over her snowbird home in Arizona. My response? Let’s see ‘em!
So she hung up the phone and proceeded to electronically send me an entire photo essay on hot air balloons, much to the delight of my 2-year-old son.
As we snap away in this visual-first society, we are making a huge record of our time, a moment by moment snapshot of history. As this sea of images grows ever deeper, we need to be reminded that content still is king. No matter if it’s digital or film, DSLR or iPhone, or the newest, hottest photo processing app, I always need to remind myself that it’s what’s in the photograph that matters.
Chad Coleman is a staff photographer for the Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter. He can be contacted at 453-4254 or ccoleman@bellevuereporter.com.
