Technology has killed the true spirit of photography 

Photographs are made with light...light being captured onto a sensitive substance. Photographic prints are made by exposing (light sensitive) paper to light projected through a negative. These statements are from photography books I grew up with...a far difference from digital imaging...

My days of shooting photography began over 30 years ago, with film, of course, since digital was not introduced until many years later. It started as a hobby, inspired by my dad, who was an avid photographer and vintage camera collector.  Years later when digital was introduced, it took me awhile to transition over as I was a rebel and I vowed to stick with film and never change...but I finally did...and yes it was great...I call it "satisfaction immediacy". You are able to shoot an image, review it on the spot, edit it in software and post it to the world in internet land. Wonderful.  I loved it or so I thought at that point. Yes, there were benefits of capturing images and being able to share with friends and relatives anywhere in the world...immediately. As years went by, there were enhancements to digital cameras via improvements in technology...more megapixels, ability to edit an image in camera, focusing improvements...Great! Yep, I was onboard buying the improved cameras (Nikon D90, D300, D610, D810).   I was hooked on the satisfaction immediacy...  Similarly with image editing software, improvements kept coming out. In post, within minutes, you could spot remove objects, change the sky if you preferred clouds rather than blue skies, eliminate unwanted objects, change vibrancy, change color temp...and so on...hmmm... The more technology advanced with cameras, yes, I was excited to experience those advancements... but...increasingly, I felt as though I was being pulled into a new direction...away from photography as I once knew it into "digital land"...and the "trueness" of photography seemed to be fading away...

I recently went on a sunrise shoot and ran into another "photographer" waiting for the sun to make its entrance for the day.   Once it did, all I heard from where he was shooting from was a barrage of clicks...and I was quite a distance away from him. He would burst out 20 shutter clicks, change his angle, then burst out dozens more, and so on. I think he took well over a hundred shots in a period of 10 minutes...and he probably took many, many more...there was no thought process involved. But, thanks to technology, you set it, forget it, and click away...the camera does it all... It was actually an annoyance to me... We had briefly chatted a prior to me leaving. When I asked what his follow up process would be, "go home, review and delete all the bad shots, work the few good ones in Photoshop, then post on Facebook". Hmmm... Perhaps all he really wanted was the "likes"...a complete turn-off for me.  Did I mention a HUGE turn-off? So I questioned, is that me as well? Thankfully, no. I love capturing images, yes. I love sharing on a few select sites because family here in the states, relatives overseas and many followers inquire on my new images and are genuinely interested in my work.  My mom is a painter and states my digital I mages inspire some of her subject matter so she looks forward to my new postings. That's why I post. I do like sites like 500px. There, through normal postings, I now have over 1200 followers from nearly 100 countries. It wasn't a goal to get followers, it naturally happened over time. And for the most part, we keep on communicating with each other. I learn from them...their techniques and creative style and they learn from me.  I benefit in some way from each and every image I view. Others like to post solely for the "likes" (the social butterflies). There's a big difference of posting images for the "likes" vs "liking" an image. But perhaps I post out of habit now...I prefer not posting on certain sites, especially Facebook, which I truly despise but, again, it's a way to share images with relatives (and they prefer using Facebook, so I feel obligated to post there). BTW, I cannot stand nor do I get why people need to share what they're doing, where they check in and the constant selfies of them.  Shooting since the early '80s, I have never taken a "selfie"...and the very few profile images of me were taken from another shooter. 

Who's the culprit?...Yes, technology. It's wonderful to witness all of the advancements and enhancements with cameras, camera equipment and editing software over the years. Technology certainly has exponentially made strides.  Technology is great...but it has killed the true spirit of photography as well as the "art" of photography... 

Technology in cameras really makes it so that anyone can shoot awesome digital images. It's actually incredibly easy, in fact, too easy. It has turned DSLRs into glorified "point-and-shoots"...meaning one will most probably use auto-ISO, auto-WB, auto-focus and most probably either the Auto, Shutter or Aperture priority modes. You can also set your image quality (standard, vivid or monochrome and make further adjustments to those if desired). What are you left with...a heavy, expensive point-and-shoot digital camera. Perfect for a lot of people...all thanks to technology. I personally set all functions in my DSLR to manual. I want to be as close to 100% in control of the camera.  In the next few weeks, I will be conducting an experiment to prove how easy it is to shoot quality digital images, thanks to technology.  I will be spending limited time showing my 13 year old son the basics (20 min explaining the camera, 20 min with basic techniques and 20 min with editing software). Kids nowadays are brain sponges as he will naturally understand the camera and software piece. He will go out then, at his venue choice nearby, and take only 5 pictures. No practice shots...And I'll bet he will match the quality of any of my images. Yeah, he may not yet have the creative eye but nonetheless I am confident he will capture a high quality image. I'll post the best 1 or 2 at that time. The point is that technology has made picture taking too easy. And it's not art, just different levels of creativity exhibited by the user. I do have sites in which you can view my digital images. Many of those images utilize certain techniques and creativity. But, anyone can easily create images such as mine, thanks to the perpetual technological enhancements of the camera. Apologies if I am redundant...you get the point...it...is...incredibly...easy...

When it comes to the spirit and "art" of photography, one must experience film photography, then you will completely understand. With film photography, you are slowing down. You are working with a fully mechanical camera with no electronics. There is no editing software. There is no cropping. You must understand how that camera works. You must understand light. You have to be able to assess a situation prior to clicking the shutter. You work with limited exposures on a film roll. You are capturing light onto light sensitive substances (film). And if you have the appropriate equipment, you process your negatives and print from your negatives (via an enlarger).  No electronics used with exception of a darkroom light (red light) and the light of an enlarger. Slowing down... intrinsically, it's the best feeling a photographer can have is when you hold the final product.  It's close to art as your final product is solely dependent on whether you your image you took was in focus and not under/over exposed. You control the negative processing, ensuring the develop, stop bath, fixer, and final wash times were precise and similarly with printing from your negatives (develop, stop bath, fixer and final wash times). You can manually control dodging and burning, if you choose. Granted, it's a bit of a process to go through but you are keenly aware during all steps...but holding the final product is priceless. With digital you can shoot an image, download it, edit it and print/email it within a few minutes...hmmm...not quite the same...

An analogy is wth 3D printers. I used to work for a company manufacturing high precision 3D printers, each printer selling for $30,000-$40,000. One market we sold into was to jewelry, with a base of 60,000 jewelers worldwide. Back in the day, master jewelers would take several days to create a usable wax mold of a unique ring, then cast it in gold, silver, platinum...finally laying on jewels, if applicable. It was a true art and the entire process was slow, meticulous, unique but error prone. As an alternative, CAD software and 3D printing, with a few clicks of a button, the whole process became fully automated, and the "art" of making a ring became obsolete...reminds me of the digital camera.

I am finally back to film. I have film cameras from back in the day and those I had inherited from my dad. I made a commitment to him that I would get most of his cameras back in working condition, then utilize out in the field.  I have done that with several cameras so far and it's an incredible feeling.  I process my negatives and develop my paper prints. And I love to slow down once again. Yes, I still shoot digital and I love that too.  But shooting film to me is true photography. 

BTW, if you use digital cameras, wonderful, but please tag yourself as a "digital capturer", not a photographer. If you don't, that's fine as well...but I will always view you as a digital capturer. There's nothing wrong with that...it's just a clarifying label. 

Learn to get away from click, click, click, click, click, click...delete, edit, post for "likes"... unfortunately, for most using digital equipment, it's basically a race for some form of "likes".  

John Hedgecoe, an internationally acclaimed film photographer once wrote, "Good photographs are all around us. The secret is to be able to see them and to have enough technical skill to be able to concentrate on taking the photograph without worrying about how to handle the camera". He also wrote, "The most powerful photographs are the ones that have an element of surprise in them - that do not give up their secret at first glance, but reveal it slowly after the initial response".  These two statements really resonates with me. With film cameras, you really need to understand how the camera works...learn and then apply that skill. With digital cameras, unfortunately, that skill has greatly diminished due to the advancements of technology. Relative to Mr. Hedgecoe's second statement, I'm still working to fully achieve...with lots of learning, practice, patience and passion.  It may be life-long, but for me, it's still a passion worth pursuing.

One final note, I had recently run into a fellow film photographer, an older gentleman, on my way back home from NY to NH and struck up a wonderful conversation about our shared hobby. We had both been shooting a small double arched stone foot bridge just off the highway. I could sense his passion from his conversation tone as he explained his film camera. He was shooting a vintage Kodak rangefinder and I had my '73 Olympus OM-2.  He mentioned his change to digital, but it was brief. He stated that digital cameras has made those who use them lazy. He actually used some "choice" words... He went on to state those people using digital cameras are just "taking" pictures and forgetting one thing..."making" pictures...a huge difference... He also stated that true photographers do one thing that digital users don't do...is practice. Film photography forces one to learn, apply and practice...and practice...and practice...whereas digital users just go out and shoot, knowing the camera will take care of the rest...just a click away... We shook hands and parted ways... The next hour or so on my drive back was spent thinking about our conversation and I wholeheartedly agreed with all of his points. In retrospect, we should have swapped contact info...

The above has been my opinion after experiencing both film and digital over the past 30 years. I did my best to keep this non-technical. You have your own opinion and I certainly respect that. If you love "photography", all I suggest is take the time to step aside from technology and experience film...or even dry plates (pre-film) and you will understand the true "spirit" of photography...otherwise the above comments will seem meaningless...if you have to stick with digital, then try turning off all the "auto" settings and limit the amount of shots to take, drop the editing...and slow down...

My name is James Merecki and I am a nature and landscape photographer, and digital capturer.