What will photography be like in 100 years.

What will photography be like in 100 years? Will it be recognisable as it is today? Will we still be using cameras? Having started my career in press photography, and transformed my career to become a specialist commercial photographer, running my own commercial photographic company I’ve seen many changes in the industry over my career to date.

Having started my career on film, and learnt how to develop a film and print images in the darkroom, to see the introduction of digital cameras to now being able to distribute high-quality images straight from the camera within seconds instantly, it is interesting to consider what photography will be like in the future. 

When I was starting out in photography, and still a few years off owning a digital camera, I remember seeing a photographer from a national newspaper at a Lincoln City game with a very early digital camera. I’m sure the camera was saving images onto a 3.5-inch floppy disk. The photographer spent more than half the match trying to download and send the images whilst sitting in the stand. At that point, I couldn’t see how this digital photography would impact the industry that it has today. 

But what about the future?

There is a current trend for mirrorless systems. I think this market will continue to grow. 

The image quality in things like smartphones is improving with each phone released. But at the moment, I doubt these cameras would replace professional cameras. Not while you are restricted with the sole built-in lens. 

I also think we can see cameras built into more items. Let’s think about car sat navs. In early models, you would have to attach a brick-sized object to your windscreen. Now, it’s common to have them built into the car. We will probably see the same for dash cams?

I think the biggest developments would be in how images are produced and how we interact with them. I certainly think future generations of photographers will be producing images that are viewed in a completely different manner. Gone will be the days of the humble still images in a book or brochure.

I think it’s safe to say, that one thing would remain consistent. The power of photography. Communicating and showing emotion will still be as vital to marketing material as it is today. 

How do you think the photographic industry will change over time?