Instagram Is in the Eye of the Beholder

For many years, people have strived to perfect the art of photography, studying lighting, framing techniques, filters, and building darkrooms.
Then, one dark and stormy night, a monster was borne from the minds of two well-intentioned software engineers-
INSTAGRAM.
Well, not just Instagram. There are many good photography programs out there (Hipsamatic springs to mind), but Instagram is a big one.
Anyway, everyone is now an amateur photographer, carrying the means to create beautiful pictures around in their pocket.
This has troubled a lot of people. I'm not a photographer, but I like art and at first I was saddened by this. Photographers that have spent their lives learning how to work a camera are being threatened by this new technology. Now, I know that this technology is a thousand times greater in the hands of these photographers, but it's still a little sad.
Finally, I realized something- these photo-editing programs are actually helping photography. Here's how.

Look at Ansel Adams, a very popular photographer. You've probably seen his work on huge office inspirational posters- probably with the caption "Freedom" in crappy typography.

T H E   A S P H A L T   L O O K S   L O N E L Y

Anyway, this guy's work is good. Why, though? Here are some reasons that instantly come to my mind:

1. The resolution is amazing
2. The shots are beautifully framed
3. The shots show Adams' awe of the power of nature

But what makes this guy so special even now in this age of rapidly progressing technology? 

Resolution? I think not. The resolution on a lot of smartphone cameras is more impressive.

The positioning and the way it's framed? Crop tools can help with that.

That leaves one element- Adam's point of view.

People still love this guy's work because they show his view of the world. You can just imagine him waiting on a hill before dawn, planning his shot and waiting for the sun to rise so that he can capture that breathless moment when day breaks, sending rays of light creeping over the valley. You can feel him behind the camera of every photo, and his excitement is palpable.

This is why new technology will help photography. It isn't enough to quickly snap a picture of your mocaccino, then crop it and tint it sepia. Hell, it isn't even enough without the cropping and coloring. If people don't get a sense of you in the picture, they will see your work as just another boring Instagram pic. You have to let them feel the tension of a dozen coffee addicts in a small steamy room, smell the coffee in the air, and taste your impatience for your drink to cool. You have to take the viewer's hand and invite them into your little pocket of time, let them stay a while in this little universe that was previously only visable to you.

THIS is photography. THIS is art. And just because you can now doctor the hell out of a somewhat-decent photo doesn't make photography itself obsolete. In fact, it might just save it.



PS: To all you people who take pictures of coffee: I am not judging you. One of my best friends does this and, as much as I tease him for it, it does not make him less fun to hang out with. In fact, I would love nothing more then to sit around with you people and critique your photographs of coffee. Heck, if any of you want to do that I'd be game. Just email 'em to me and I'll post 'em! The series of posts could be called "BEST HIPSTER PICS OF THE MONTH AWARDS" and I'd give the winner five bucks. I'm totally serious.