From the snapshot of my findings shown on this site, it is clear that modern photography is a fast changing movement which
has yet to reach maturity. The explosion of innovation brought on by digital
has brought about the creation of completely automatic highly accessible and
convenient devices which can be bought and used for very little cost, promoting
a revolution in the way people take photos. A slow and considered approach was
notable in the film era, where rolls of film, limited shots, and processing
costs kept the capture of low value images to a minimum. However, this has
transformed into a free will approach to photography where users can now take
an abundance of photos of anything they like for any reason. While this is a
good thing which has driven the market for the past 10 years, the rise of
social photography and consumer use of basic image altering software are the
first sign of users shifting their concentration back onto the subjects of the
photos; all be it negatively in this case thanks to social pressures,
expectations, and virility causing mass image conformity.
From a philosophical point of view, the best camera in the
world is your eye. We make the conscious decision to purposefully take photos
because we are intrigued by the reality infront of us triggering a desire to
share, keep, and remember that moment. From observation of modern habits
though, the beauty of the scene is easily damaged by the simple existence of
the camera. It becomes a psychological barrier between the photographer and the
subject, and causes a change in thought process in both. For example, a tourist
who spends more time looking at their camera than an incredible monument infront
of them would appreciate the moment more had the camera not been present.
Likewise, while taking a photo of someone, the moment the camera is raised to
the eye the subject becomes isolated and finds themselves no longer interacting
with the photographer, but the camera instead; a completely different
relationship which breaks the initial moment. Both the user’s and the subjects
attention needs to be removed from the camera, so that they can concentrate on
the beauty of the interaction they are involved in, leaving the technology to
do all the work on its own.
Put simply then, both the construct of the camera and the
photographer are the most damaging aspects of modern photography to the value
of images. Thanks to the way cameras have been developed, changes in peoples
user habits have caused people to take more photos yet treasure them less. The increasing use of images as small
consumable items of communication is often used socially to top up a sense of
self-worth. I believe that sentimental photography used to capture memories, nostalgia,
pride and other emotions, is the key to photos having long term personal value
to both the taker and the subject. Representing nothing but reality is the
closest thing to capturing what you see and how you feel, and to do this the
camera needs to be as physically and socially invisible as possible. If your
eye is the most accurate camera in the world in capturing what you see, then
anything you put infront of it simply distorts reality. A good valuable image
is one that shows a scene which would have been no different had the camera not
been there. Therefore, the aim of my product development must be to fix these
problems by altering habits and user trends though subtle but effective product
design and handing, while trying not to break the expectations of users
concerning technical specification, size and convenience which have driven
innovation throughout the history of photography.
Brief
Therefore, the aim of my project is to design a camera which encourage changes in the handling of the camera device, and the subtle habits of users which occur during the modern photos taking process. This is all with the intent of:
- Increasing the personal and creative value of sentimental photos
- Forcing greater consideration for each shot to avoid over shooting and create meaningful photos
- Breaking down the barrier between the photographer and the subject
- Encouraging development of professional habits and intuitive setting control
Working Specification
- Design development should focus on generating a new format which departs from the norm
- The new product must be as socially and physically invisible as possible
- New ergonomics for hand held usage
- Minimal interaction with the device to operate it
- A design which requires little attention, so the user can concentrate on the subject
- Intuitive setting control under fingertips
- The product should be aimed at enthusiasts moving up from compact cameras
- Fairly low cost with price points comparable to existing entry level DSLR cameras
- Aimed at the growing quantity of ‘social photographers’ – mostly youth who grew up with digital (13-30)
- Must conform to consumer expectations of camera development
- Small size – Ideally comparable to small EVIL, compact cameras, and phones.
- Must have an upto date technical specification concerning the electronics (sensor resolution, memory capacity etc)
- Potentially include a new USP to add extra appeal to entice purchasing interest
- Mechanical controls with tactile feedback
- Immersive image capture
- Integration with social networks
- Must not require additional attention so as not to damage the main intent behind the new product
