To some, it seems as if many teens are photographers these days. Students walk around the hallways of Aragon with their DSLRs hanging on straps around their neck or in camera bags on their shoulder.
This surge in photography’s popularity is not just a coincidence. Technology has grown in the past few years, especially with the release of the Apple products, smart phones, laptops, and more. Our world has transformed into the era of technology. People want the newest gadgets available to them, and among these gadgets are high-tech, easy to use cameras.
This might be one of the reasons why kids and adults alike are more interested in photography nowadays; it’s simply easier to take a clearer picture. With digital cameras, the viewing screen right on the camera makes for faster and immediate feedback. Especially which our fast-paced culture, having fast cameras increases the appeal of photography.
Electronic prices have also dropped, and DSLRs are cheaper than ever. The Canon EOS 20D came out in 2005, and the expected street price was $7,000. When the Canon EOS 60D was released a few weeks ago, the body of the camera sold for $1,200 maximum.
150 students are currently enrolled in photography classes at Aragon. Back in 2007, when Aragon only offered three periods of Digital Photography per day, only 94 students were registered for the class.
However, Aragon started offering two more periods of photography because of the larger number of students who wanted to take the class. The amount of students continued to increase until the program eventually reached full capacity.
This trend is reflected nationwide as well. According to the College Board web site, 13,410 students were enrolled in AP Studio-2-D Design in the year 2007, many of whom were taking AP Photo. By 2011, 21,765 students were taking the class, almost twice as many aspiring photographers in just four years.
But perhaps students love photography because of the simplicity of it. “Photography is one of the easiest art forms. You just click the shutter,” Aragon’s Digital Photography teacher, Nicholas Carrillo, says. “It’s free expression through actual moments,” junior Jocelyn Lam adds. “Every picture is a memory.” A memory that can be captured with just one click.
Photography is, in part, about connections with other people. In sophomore Veto Condo’s case, photography is a family passion. “My family is into photography,” Condo says. The same goes for freshman Jessica Westmont, who is enrolled in Photography 1-2 this year. “My sister [took] it and it seems interesting,” she says.
Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, and countless other web sites play a big part in the heightened popularity of photography. “Photography is more relatable to daily lives, because of the [social media],” freshman Christina Tun Zan says. “Instead of just a hobby, Instagram and Facebook have made [photography] social,” sophomore Elaine Shu adds.
Social networking plays a huge part in viewing and sharing pictures online. In freshman Sarah Leyson’s words, “Instagram is life.” Before, it was fastest to connect with friends and family by writing messages in a post or an e-mail, instead of hooking up your camera to your laptop. Now, with cameras on mobile devices, it takes mere seconds to upload photos somewhere on the internet.
“It’s fun to see pictures,” Shu remarks. “You can communicate via photos instead of statuses.” “You had a hard time imagining the scenario before. Now the photo can take you to the place they’re at,” freshman Angela
Bonanni says.
“We’re a visual culture,” Carrillo adds. Our generation likes to not just communicate and express through words also with pictures.
But not all students appreciates the effect social media has had on photography. For example, senior Laynie Mitchell says, “It’s a convenient art form, but degraded.”
“Pictures on Instagram aren’t real photography. They could be bad examples, and you don’t put much effort into them,” says senior Tyler Bray, who spends an hour a day taking pictures for AP Studio-2-D Design. Peter Kantorczyk agrees. “If a picture [on Instagram] has no good form, it makes photography look like a joke.”
Photography has changed our world. It has taken technology to new heights, expanded our view on the world, and allowed us to show things from our own personal points of view. We use it to document beauty, nature, people, and most importantly—memories. In the words of Eudora Welty, “A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.”
