Move over wet collodion.... Make way for cell-phones....

There once was a process called the wet collodion that was invented and introduced in the 1850's. This Style was produced on glass plates to leave and make a detailed negative to print from. This process was very time consuming. The amount of equipment and supplies that were needed to capture a photo was overwhelming at times for most photographers.

 (Click link below for examples of wet collodion)
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Photo by, Unknown

Today’s technology has made it possible for almost every person walking down the street to be able to snap off a piece of history by taking a photo.  Anyone that has a cell phone nowadays most likely has a camera feature on the phone and can allow almost anyone to become an instant photojournalist. A cell phone camera allows an individual to take still photographs and some even video.  According to Wikipedia, “Most camera phones are simpler than separate digital cameras however; their usual fixed focus lenses and smaller sensors limit their performance in poor lighting. Lacking a physical shutter, most have a long shutter lag. Flash, where present, is usually weak” but the convenience of having a cell phone with the added feature of a camera is a plus that you gain. Within seconds of capturing a photo you can have it uploading  and shared over wireless transmission onto many social media sites like facebook, twitter, or blogger. Verizon wireless is now even offering a camera (Samsung Galaxy Camera) that is connected to their wireless service that can instantly upload your photos to instagram.

          

Has Technology changed photojournalism? What once took hours of preparation to set up and complete, can be done now a quick click of a button from a cell phone to the instant upload onto a blog or even a news source. Photos can be shared almost instantly, compared to the time, money and back breaking work it took to capture just one memory it did in the earliest times of photojournalism.

 

Photo By, Brad Reed