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Lauren Pounds
Mrs. Lester
Advanced Composition
11 October 2011
Digital Cameras
BBC News conducted a survey asking how many people own some form of digital
camera. About eighty-nine percent of people who answered owned a digital camera or a camera-
phone. Since the first camera was ever made, there have been a few ways of capturing special
moments. Ever since the digital camera first came about, film has rarely been used. For people
still using it, it will not be around much longer. The world of photography has made dramatic
changes in short period of time including new technology, especially the digital camera, which
has made it possible for anyone to become an amateur photographer.
Digital cameras have revolutionized photography by making it accessible to the masses.
First of all, there are many features and accessories a photographer must take in to consideration
(Prakel). If someone is interested in becoming a photographer or just making photography, the
prices and amount of equipment needed can get very expensive. There are always new camera
models coming out with new and improved features to them. Cameras of course are the main
thing one must have in order to excel in photography. Other things someone will need include:
lenses, memory cards, external flashes, tripods, extra batteries, battery chargers, and more. There
are many skills one must know in order to be a photographer (Prakel). Along with the long and
dedicating hours one must put in, photographers have to stay up-to-date with the latest

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improvements in cameras and Photoshop. Photoshop can do many things and are always coming
out with the latest and greatest improvements. Not only do photographers have to keep up with
improvements in technology, they also have to know the many settings on cameras and things
such as lighting and aperture. With those two settings alone, there is so much a photographer can
do. For example, aperture is an opening in a lens which light travels. Doing so can capture
movement of light and creature a very unique photograph. People need to learn how to organize,
preserve, and print their images… One of the biggest worries is that many memories could be
lost forever (LaGasse2). From personal experience, preserving digital photographs seems like a
simple task, but the process is more complicated than it is expected to be. For a photographer,
this is a very important part of the job. Keeping images on a computer is a common way, but one
must either print any important photos that they may want forever or back the photos up on a
disk or external hard drive. In case anything happens, backing up photos on a disk or external
hard drive saves a lot of time, money, and stress. People may find it hard to define the issue with
photography, but the change has made a drastic impact.
Throughout the years, digital cameras have made a drastic impact on photography. Now
days, people heavily rely on digital cameras (LaGesse2). Digital cameras are everywhere. People
use them to capture memories, as art work, or even to portray a message. Digital cameras make
taking photographs easy to do so, because the newer the camera, the smaller it is. Many
improvements have started to be made to new models because it makes it easier for a person to
work with. Many advances have been made with the flashes, USB connectors, video recording,
small size, better flash, and all together, better photographs. There used to be few models, but
now there are so many to choose from. Deciding is the hardest part (Seymour). A while back,
there were limited amounts of camera models and lenses. Now, there are so many models and

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lenses to choose from that it is recommended to do research for the one that will best suit the
customer. It also depends on the type of objects or events the photographer is going to shoot. If
someone is just going to use the camera to carry around and take photos of their family, a simple
one is all that is needed. If someone wants to shoot a sporting event, nature scene, or a wedding,
more advanced cameras and lenses are essential. Eastman Kodak Company is struggling for
survival because they are trying to get through bankruptcy due to the fact that no one uses film
anymore (Dobbin). Film cameras, for the most part, have been long gone. Kodak has been
struggling to stay on its feet. It cannot keep up with the digital technology that other companies
are using and that all the customers are buying. Kodak was taken over in the market by Sony and
Panasonic. Unlike Kodak, those companies knew what their customers wanted and how to get
their needs to them. Recently, Kodak has been trying to make a comeback, but is not succeeding.
Altogether, photography used to be a small profession, but technology has transformed it in to
very popular career choice or hobby.
One solution would be new technological advances in photography that has made
viewing images faster and easier. That does not always make that a good thing. Digital cameras
made everything easier by being able to view photos instantly and being able to share them via-
email (Holmes2). Being able to view images instantly is admired and helpful for anyone with a
camera, but the privilege can be abused. A lot of people have cameras on their cell phones and
for many people that can be dangerous if they are not careful with what they send out. Many
people use camera phones in a bad way, for example, sexting. If photos are sent out, you never
know who is going to see and what you could get yourself into. Another disadvantage of digital
photography is that you never know when someone else has taken a photo without the other
person knowing (Lasen). It could be someone you know, but sometimes they are complete

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strangers. With knowing that, people get freaked out because that can lead to things like stalking
or humiliation. Also, the photos are not going to be seen only by the person who took it most
likely. People will post photos on websites and soon a bunch of strangers are seeing your face
without you knowing. Public and private boundaries are being changed because of this issue
(Lasen). With the use of cameras and phones, the limitations have changed. What one person
thinks is private is not so private to someone else. For example, Facebook has privacy settings,
but the page can never be permanently deleted and the photos will be out in cyberspace forever.
Advances in technology have made photography much more efficient and reliable.
There are many solutions people have come up with to resolve these problems with
digital cameras. After people send inappropriate photos to at least one person, it is out there
forever and that person will have to live with it forever (Lair). To try and get over sending
inappropriate photos, there was a group that talked about what encouraged them to do such a
thing. Many answered it was just something they heard of celebrities doing. The technology is
also easily available so it makes it a simple task. Parents sometimes feel like it is their fault
because kids are getting phones and cameras at early ages. When kids are younger they are
vulnerable to peer pressure. When one kid does it, everyone starts to do it. Some states have even
gone so far to ban sexting and make it illegal (Oberschneide). People in the photos will be
charged and so will people who have such images on their phones. Cameras and cell phones are
easily accessed and receive them instantaneously. With photos being shared so fast, who knows
where they will end up. There are basic guidelines that can help parents prevent their children
from sexting (Oberschneide 1). Many parents find it a good thing to give their children the sex
talk before the kids hear it from someone else. Also, discussing how dangerous sexting can be
might scare the child. Sending photos can be very dangerous to even receive. Many websites

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offer information and advice for people who have a hard time with explaining it. They can show
the dangers of digital cameras and cell phones. The world of photography is constantly changing
with new ways of sharing memories and photos that can cause a dilemma.
Thinking about the issue of people abusing digital cameras and cell phones should not
discourage anyone. As long as people use cameras appropriately, photography can be very
rewarding. People have control over their own lives and can make their own decisions.
Personally, I think people should continue to pursue photography as a career or hobby because
you control what images are taken and where they go.