One of the principal attractions of digital is that the image can be
transported to the customer only a short time after it's shot. News
photographers have also appreciated the ability to edit their work
themselves, and then ship only the shots THEY like. With film, the rolls may
go back to HQ, and the art director/editor can see everything before the
photographer sees anything. For now, photographers have acquired limited
control because of the very limited storage capacity and transmission
bandwidth available. But with high speed wireless networks it should be
possible for all pictures to go back to the home office as they are shot, as
with a lot of TV. And the links can be two-way; so the editor/art director
can give commands to the camera pointer (new job title) as the shooting
progresses. As a result the former photographer will become equivalent to TV
camera pointers, who are there to hold equipment, elbow the competition out
of the way, and follow directions.
It won't just be news. An account I read of a digital advertising shoot, had
the art director looking over the capture computer operator's shoulder
giving thumbs up or down on each frame as it was shot. I can see wedding
photographers having to please all the kibitzers before each formal shot of
a family permutation is done.
There will still be some room for on the scene initiative. It will be hard
for the office-bound editor to completely control the shoot looking at 5
frames/sec with a 400mm lens when things are moving quickly. And of course
since Reagan, big cheese politicians have pretty strictly controlled the
available options for photographers anyway.
Just a few thoughts. There's always art photography, anyway.
Paul
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