The AcademyToday
It has often been said that ‘there is nothing new in the world’. Well, that was disputed with the invention of photography. Then, as the Photo Section was approaching the twenty-first century, the invention of digital photography brought a dramatic change to the art and craft of photography. At first, the Photo Section members ignored this imaging process, considering is quite inferior in quality to traditional photographic processes. However, as digital technology improved, in 2001, the club accepted digital images in their regular club programs and competitions. However, just as there was a long-time debate during the early years of photography whether photography is an art, so we can expect debates one whether digital imagery is photography. By year 2003, one-hundred-percent digital images were competing well in both monochrome and color categories. This is not to say that traditional processes were abandoned-to the contrary, some members continued with traditional photographic processes. Interestingly, new members were joining because of the Photo Section’s commitment to traditional black & white photography. For some such members, there is a special satisfaction in practicing their camera and dark room techniques-to create a more hands-on image. How long will traditional photography continue? -surly, to some degree, for a long time.