the downfall of a legend

I ran to Jason's Deli on Sunday after church to grab lunch before going back to work and to set up for Sunday night. (okay I actually drove, but who's counting) And the oddest thing happened as I stood people watching, waiting for my food. A group of six 60-somethings were sat around a table, just finishing their lunch when an employee walked by. One of the gentlemen stopped him and asked him to take a picture of their group. I mean, it's Jason's Deli...is it really that exciting? I'm reminded of the time I was at Freebirds with Camp Shaha back in the day and we were nearly lynched for taking a picture inside the "copyrighted" restaurant. Come on, people, don't flatter yourself so much!

Anyway, back to the story at hand. Despite the mundane nature of Jason's to the general populace, to these people is was an occasion worth documenting. So the man brought out his disposable camera and passed it along to the waiter. And suddenly, without warning, and involuntarily, I found myself thinking, "how quaint." Not because these people were taking a picture, but because it was being taken on a disposable camera, a feat necessitating a second shot "just in case." The familiar clicking of winding the film to the next frame echoed through my mind as I contemplated what I was seeing.

I was semi-horrified at my reaction. How is it that a technology that about ten years ago was at its height, with all of us high school students toting around a backpack full of disposable cameras ready to capture those memories worth saving for posterity. I mean, it's only been three or four years ago that the sale of digital cameras outnumbered the sale of film models. Yet, it's true. Technology has come so far, so fast, and has grown to a level of affordability that makes it accessible to so many, that we've actually come to a place that a disposable 35mm camera is "quaint." And while I would suspect that film cameras will still be around for years to come, it makes you stop and wonder if that's even the case. There are die-hard purists that are undoubtedly cursing my name at even the thought, but it's a thought worth entertaining.

Like every technology that has come into place in my lifetime, I stop and marvel (sometimes in fear) at what we have at our fingertips. It's made me into a semi-professional photographer, a hobby--turned side business that I might have found and explored without the advances, but certainly not as easily or quickly (or cheaply). Sure, the camera is a large outlay of cash, but think of the money saved on film and processing of unwanted photos.

So where do we go from here? There are already disposable digital cameras. Digital slr prices continue to plummet. But one thing remains the same, because even with all the technological advances in photography, there are just as many inferior digital pictures as there were 35mm shots. The only real difference, then, is a disappearance of the "delayed" and an introduction of the "instant" crap.

Because, you see, all the technology in the world still can't replace an artistic eye, creativity, talent, and excellence.

that's all.