Art In My View: iEXTINCTION?

Back in 1991, Los Angeles resident George Holliday, from his balcony video taped some Los Angeles police officers brutally beating Rodney King after a high speed car chase. Besides the social turmoil that ensued after these images were televised, Mr. Holliday was at the very forefront of a trend of regular citizens documenting news stories.

Fast forward 16 years to 2007 when the iPhone was first released to the public, and suddenly thousands, millions of people were walking around with phone/cameras right in their pockets. People who would never have thought to lug around a still camera or video camera suddenly had both at the tips of their fingers.

Millions and millions of photos were taken, mostly of special meaning only to the photographer. But then it became apparent that nothing could happen of consequence in the public arena without at least one person documenting it with their cell phone camera. It did not take long before professional news outlets had to concede that the general public was out there getting photographic stories that the professional photojournalists sometimes missed. These images from outside sources began showing up on broadcasts, and now today, publicly taken videos grace almost every newscast.

My thoughts here are that if I had always dreamed of being a professional photographer, I would be worried today. Is this a profession that will be disappearing because of this fabulous technology that is in the hands of the masses?

Still, very expensive SLR cameras and all their accompanying lenses and filters may have an advantage, though not as much as the camera makers would like.

How can professional photographers compete with this trend? One way is that they must go where Joe or Jane Public doesn't usually go, such as is done by National Geographic photographers, or battlefield photographers.

by Dominic Brown

Another way for a photographer to stand out is to manipulate his or her way into photographing public figures (not Paparazzi style!). There is a long and dignified history of this genre, and the public never tires of celebrity. The last one shown here would be the envy of any Vanity Fair photographer, but was taken using a cell phone by one of the participants.

by Mathew Brady

by Edward Curtis

by Margaret Bourke-White

by Richard Avedon

by Annie Leibovitz

A third way to rise above as a professional photographer is to have a superb eye for composition. Most untrained photographers take simple snapshots. Not that these snapshots are not beloved, but fine composition rises above.