[pure-silver] Digital imaging is a sign of the times
- From: Christopher Woodhouse <chris.woodhouse@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 20:56:11 +0000
I was listening to a sociologist on Radio 4 describe the analogies between
businesses, consumer trends and politics. The US author cited several
theories which seem to fit in with what we see happening with digital
imaging.
In one part he described how many companies reward those employees who have
'potential' over those who do their jobs well and thoroughly, the
'craftsman'. I see darkroom workers as craftsman and certainly I have not
found many who value the dedication and attention to detail.
This trend spills over into politics, where new ideas with potential have
more appeal than bedding in old policies. Similarly consumers buy products
which have potential that they will never use, (iPods holding 20K songs and
4x4 SUV's in London were the examples) over those products who have a proven
utility and reliability. That is digital imaging all over. Yes it may be
proven one way or the other that one aspect is better or worse than film,
but it is the untapped potential of digital that the average punter will
never use, that causes their wallets to open. Already I can see signs that
the digital compact market is being overtaken by the camera phones as they
have more potential for 'instant gratification'.
It would seem that until consumer trends change and become bludgeoned by
economic realism, those products which appeal to the 'potential' rather than
the trusty products of yesteryear, will continue to be grow. If traditional
photography is to survive I think the photo companies (well Ilford mostly
these days) will have to stop sniffing the fixer and understand how
consumer's minds work.
Chris Woodhouse
=============================================================================================================
To unsubscribe from this list, go to www.freelists.org and logon to your
account (the same e-mail address and password you set-up when you subscribed,)
and unsubscribe from there.
Other related posts:
