The Evolution of Photography: From Film to Digital

What's been going on in the world of photography over the past few decades? And where does it all go from here?

I've spent some time digging through various online archives to try and find a way to wrap my head around the evolution of photography. I hope that what I've uncovered helps shed some light on how it happened, and what its future may hold.


My personal conclusion is that photography is far more accessible today than it ever has been. For the majority of amateur photographers, entry level equipment can produce professional quality imagery. In fact, I think that it's pretty easy to make an argument that most digital cameras have become more capable than the best film cameras ever made.

The question is, is photography still evolving?

How much of the photographic process is still left to evolve, and what can we expect in the next 10 years?

The biggest thing that can be said for sure is that photography is no longer limited to film. Digital cameras have made film obsolete, and I believe that we'll see more innovations like HDR photography that create amazing results from a handful of photos.

Digital photography doesn't mean that the craft of photography is dead, but it does mean that the limitations of the medium have been lifted.

It also means that photographers need to learn the fundamentals of composition and lighting again. We'll no doubt see more cameras with better built-in lenses, higher megapixel count sensors, and even better autofocus technology. But I don't believe that photography will ever really be truly dead.

Photographers are always looking for new techniques that can produce better photographs. They'll never stop searching for better ways to combine light, shadow, and depth. Even with digital, photographers are always trying to push the envelope on exposure, saturation, and contrast.

The only thing that I'm 100% certain of is that photography has already gone through a revolution, and it's just starting now.