The development of the photograph over the last two centuries is without doubt one of mankind’s greatest feats to date, to be able to capture and record human existence throughout time is becoming more intriguing and important not only for nostalgic purposes but also as a documentation of what has been before.
Photograpy has been full of innovation and incredible awe inspiring technologies have emerged (such as movie film) from first development of the camera and the creation of permanent images produced in 1826 by the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.
One of the greatest reasons for using a camera and probably what has driven camera development and sales since the idea of photography was first conceived is to capture family and friends for nostalgic purposes. The portrait photograph is not only for family parties and private moment, but also weddings and special events, and professional camera men and women make a living from this area of photography. Photo gifts are also big business with digital photo frames and pictures displaying loved ones and special moments on mantle pieces.
With modern digital and computer technologies, it was inevitable that the digital camera would eventually supercede the traditional camera film and cameras that supported it. Some argue that traditional film is making a come back, but this will only ever be for the enthusiasts. The ease and simplicity of digital cameras far outweighs that of traditional film cameras, also the ability to be able to store thousands of images on a small memory card or stick and the development of digital editing software means the digital camera is an exciting piece of equipment. Digital zoom lengths and pixel quality are constantly improving.
However, one downfall of the digital camera age is that, where traditional photographs could easily be compiled in photo albums, digital images often remain on memory cards or locked away in folders on computers waiting to be edited and shared on social media websites such as face-book and pinterest. The other problem is that not everyone uses facebook and other social networking sites, for many the traditional family photo albums is a great loss.
There is hope though, for those looking to recapture the ease of photo albums, a new line of photo books are available. This is thanks to advanced digital photo printing technologies. The digital images are simply printed on the pages of an album which you can offer as a photo gift to a friend or family member for them to treasure. It could be a holiday, birthday, wedding or any special occasion. To compliment this service you can now also have a photo canvas prepared with your favourite relative, loved one or even a favourite landscape or holiday image to hang on the wall or on a shelf.
The advances in such technology are paying tribute to older practices of displaying cherished photographs. Many high street photo, film and camera stores will offer this great service both in store and online, and can make an ideal gift for any occasion.