DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
CREATES NEW CONDITIONS TO PHOTOGRAPHY
(speech from the 2nd Photographic Convention held in Tinos - Greece, September 2003)

In our times, we have developed the habit to shoot photographs; this habit is so widely spread, regardless of social status that sometimes we forget how recent this development has been. Until the end of the 19th century, as regards painting and drawing, only the ones with talent had the possibility to depict what they saw.
Today, however, photography is the only form of art with so much potential and is widely spread and recognized by our society, as something to be viewed or as means of expression and creation.

The painter can create paintings out of his imagination. The subject might be substantial or not. The painter has the possibility to choose the form, the size of what will finally be painted; for example if a painter desires to paint a lion, he will choose the color of the lion's eyes out of his imagination and then just paint it.
In the case of the photographer, if he would like to photograph a lion, he should firstly look out for one and then take its picture.
As regards painting one uses exactly the same tools as one did centuries ago and the only thing that changes over time are the different painting styles or movements; contrary to photography that there are not any changes in style but in the means.
Thereby, every now and then, new technological changes arouse about the cameras, lenses and generally all the accessories that accompany photographic equipment.
In the last years, there have been made substantial changes in the technology of the camera as are: the auto focus system, multi mode, auto exposure, crystal display panel and other changes.
In reality, the photographer always sees the picture through the lighting conditions of that moment; bright or shadowed spots and how they will react on the film, the choice to use zoom-lens in order to compress the depth of the field of view or wide-angle in order to increase it and the choice of the proper diaphragm and speed for every picture are some technical details taken under consideration by the photographer every time he creates a photograph.

Creativity that always depends on the proper use of the possibilities offered by technology in combination with the photographer's aesthetics, sensitivity and talent; offer him the opportunity to express unique moments of mental euphoria and inspiration.

At this point a question is aroused:
In which way does the use of a different system, by the photographer, from the one used up until today, stand as an obstacle in the creativity of photography?
Which is the difference if the light that does reflect on an object is recorded on something different than film?
In which way is a photographer "harmed" if instead of having his photographs on a film, he has them on something which ensures complete control in any way that in the past hadn't even imagined?
At this point one may ask himself how a photographer's creativity can be reduced when digital processing of a picture, with many technical meddling, ensure him comfort and facility, while in the past big effort and precious time were in need.
It is an undisputable fact that we live the most spectacular evolution of photographic history. This is the time of revolution, when the technical rules of photography are being re-examined, when we must learn new techniques and leave behind some old ones.
This new era begun with the insertion and use of computers in the world of photography.
However the best way to understand the role that photography plays for humans is to avoid the objectification of the camera, film or tripods. One, in order to understand the meaning of photography as a dynamic means of carrying information or as a means used to record vivid ideas, thoughts and feelings, must do exactly the opposite: consider photography as an integral piece of human's evolutionary course, as part of his nature.
Humans are obligated to adjust every time at the new reality, which is implicated by the industrialization and the economical classifications; a climaxing situation with technology evolving at the expense of our natural environment.
Nevertheless the last change implicated by digital technology is really evolutionary. The photographer should adapt or even better should get acquainted with the new revolutionary technology. All these tools he used until today are now considered to be obsolete, while the computer more and more becomes an integral part of his daily activities.
To many people this revolutionary change might seem catastrophic, but is not really anything more than a new technique, which is added to the continuous course of photography.

A few decades ago photographers treated with the same awe the film that replaced the glass plates, the colored film, which was placed next to the black and white etc., or the great technological breakthrough at photo-press the new camera of 35mm created by Leica.
Digital technology is just a procedure, which converts pictures into mathematical connections exactly as traditional photography transforms particles of silver into pictures. Like in traditional photography in which we had the possibility to control the contrast, tone and others, with the new technology we can come to similar results in an easier way.
The question that sometimes is posed: Is if digital technology can hold onto the magic of truth and reality of the photographic image. There are several answers to this issue as are regarding the belief if photography is an art.
The truth is that it depends on the user of the new technology as also the purpose for which it is used. Photography can either be false or true regardless of the processing techniques or the style which was used for taking it but. It is simply based on the expediency that serves or wants to serve each photographer.
The digital photography indeed facilitates the falsification or the production of false photographs, but the problem of falsification and false pictures existed from the birth of photographic art and exist even today, with the difference that the computer really facilitates this process.
It is undisputable that digital technology offers great possibilities for all the photographic applications, in the science and in art. Also, it sometimes makes the photographers be interested more for the technological development than for photography itself. This perhaps is justified by the fact that the changes that have been made in the last decade had not been made for the last 100 years.
The best technology for the art of photography is yet to come; even though digital technology may bring radical changes to the process of elaboration and taking in no way can it alter or diminish the aesthetics and style of the photographer.
Taking into account that photography and cinema are the most valuable tools for cultural development and growth, we must also bear in mind the influences that those two tools may get from the circumstances of time, which are shaped from the economical and political changes of every society. It is an undisputable fact that photography was an important factor for the application of democracy in our society, as was cinema especially in the early decades. Since its first appearance, played a big part in the socialization of humanity and in many cases (example the Hellenic cinema until the decade of '60 - '70) had an extremely instructive role.

The culture of each society represents a way of living, which is formed by morals and customs, traditions habits and behaviours that affect the comportment of humans inside their social environment. Thus cultural influences have an important role in shaping individualises attitude.
Photography and cinema have an important role in shaping and developing attitudes. Using optical forms of communication humans can shape their opinions and attitudes regarding several things.
Even though photography has great possibilities of sensitizing people and is considered to be the most dynamic mean of informing the public, the cinema has been characterized as an opinion instructor with special abilities for influencing masses, specifically on sociability issues.
Cinema can travel the civilization of a society from generation to generation while intensively effecting the configuration of personalities as well as attitudes.
People, through cinema, were able to learn new behaviors, to produce new ideas, to observe with a more specialized glance their natural and technical environment. The tutelage part of cinema helped new generations to become more alleging, to grow democratic feelings, to wipe out social and religious prejudices and to comport within democratic limits while respecting human rights.
But we must not forget the negative influences, which can be very easily transmitted by the commercial cinema such as violence, vulgarity, refusal of creativity and many other negative factors that one may record.
Therefore, concluding I would want to say that photography and cinema as well are realistic forms of art and products of our industrial era. Their influence towards society does not depend on revolutionary changes of technology, but on the exploitation of technology each time by various socio-economic interests that additionally allocate the force of authority.
Any technology can provoke cultural and artistic influences; something which is inevitable. But on the other hand, education and the artist's experiences are the basic and catalytic elements which will affect the artistic result of photography and cinema.
The artistic value of photography depends on the photographer's selective vision, his ability to isolate and in-frame time as well as to control the technical possibilities of his camera and capture the essence of the moment.

Spiros Skiadopoulos