WILL AI SAVE OR DESTROY PHOTOGRAPHY?
From film to digital, photography has always evolved with technology. But generative AI presents a different challenge: images are created without ever witnessing the world. Dylan Garcia asks if photography will drown in a flood of synthetic sameness or if human input will be even more valuable.
Photography started as a technological advancement. As a document or work of art, it has always evolved with technology.
An example of this technological evolution is the shift from large-format to 35mm film. This change helped make Henri Cartier-Bresson's work and street photography possible. There would have been no “decisive moment” without the move to 35mm film.
The shift from film to digital was another technological change that transformed photography. I lived through this transformation. While using the now-iconic rolls, I only had to deliver the slides and the job was done. The client would scan the pictures and do any retouching or editing.
The economics are different now, as film and processing have become expensive. A Velvia film roll is around £25–£40, with development and scanning costing another £15–£30. In total, you are looking at roughly £40–£70 per roll. Ten rolls could therefore cost £400–£700. A hundred rolls would break the bank at £4,000–£7,000. It does not take long for a laptop and a digital camera to become the only affordable options.
