Photography, Smartphones, and Culture: A Sociology Perspective

This assignment delves into the evolution of photography, tracing its transformation from the era of Daguerre to the age of smartphones. The student explores the technological advancements that have occurred, highlighting the shift from laborious processes to instant image capture. The assignment discusses how the accessibility of photography through smartphones has influenced our culture, making it easier than ever to document and share moments. The student argues that we have become a culture of photographs, where taking pictures is a common and accessible activity. The assignment uses references to support the claims made about the ease of photography and its impact on culture. The assignment also compares the work of Daguerre with that of modern photography, highlighting the changes that have taken place.

Sociology 1
Title: Advanced Critical Writing
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Sociology 2
How has the ability to take a photograph changed from Daguerre to today (with phones)?
Do you think we have become a culture of photographs?
Yes, considering the technological development today, It can be said that we have
become a culture of photographs. Everywhere we go, we can see people with phones in hands,
clicking the pictures. Lately, photography via cell phones has become fairly common. It took
Daguerre years to come with a fine developed photographic image that had a silver-plated sheet
of copper and was highly polished. The image was sensitized with iodine vapors that were
projected through a large box camera (Daniel, 2004). The image was developed by mercury
fumes and was stabilized with salt-water. All these efforts make us realize how far we have come
in the area of photography and now the process is so much easier. At the time when Daguerre
existed, photography took a lot of efforts and time, but now it is as easy as clicking a button.
Earlier, only people with specific abilities could take photographs, but the emergence of mobile
phones has allowed every person to be able to click and save precious memories. We can now
capture precious moments anytime and anywhere without having to acquire any specialized skill-
set. For example- birth of a child is a joyous moment in everybody’s life and we want to live that
moment even if the kid becomes an adult. The ability to take photographs with phones has
definitely been a boon for everyone who loves to cherish small and big moments of life.
Daguerre put in a lot of efforts to develop one fine image, today, even a child can take a picture
that too effortlessly (Welch, n.d.). The time we live in is a culture of photographs for sure.
People in restaurants, clubs, parks, etc., click pictures of their activities and yes, I would say it is
a positive change. Now, we do not have to rely on experts to have our pictures taken and most of
all phones are easy to carry.

Sociology 3
References
Daniel, M. (2004). Daguerre (1787–1851) and the Invention of Photography. Retrieved 17
September 2019, from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dagu/hd_dagu.htm
Welch, A. The Evolution of Photography | Contrastly. Retrieved 17 September 2019, from
https://contrastly.com/the-evolution-of-photography/