Insta-artist?

Fujifilm X100
Fujinon 23mm

Years ago, I had an argument with a friend about how I thought that digital media had killed the art of photography.

I remember the first decent camera that came into my possession, a Fujica ST801 from 1973. I struggled with that damn thing, but I loved it. The light meter was always wrong, the film always got stuck (it had never been serviced as far I know), and the flash was cumbersome and the camera as a whole was heavy. It did however teach me plenty of photography lessons:

1. Composition is everything.

2. Light is your friend.

3. Make every shot count.

4. Steady hands are vital.

5. Some of the best photos taken are a purely a product of being in ‘the right place and the right time’.

It is sad to see people shooting away with little thought as to what they are seeing through the lens/viewfinder/LCD. The luxury of being able to take hundreds of shots in a day makes you less likely to savour them.

I remember the anticipation of getting back the photos from a roll of film I had dropped in to get developed. Learning each time from the hits and misses, hoping to improve my strike rate of better photos.

But enough reminiscing…

We’ve moved on from those days, and the although I now rarely shoot with film, I still think it has its place. Much in the same way that computer graphic design has not made paint brushes extinct, digital photography will never entirely rid the world of film.

The question is now thus:

Does Instagram make you an instant artist?