A recent visit to the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition, followed by a wander through the rooms of the National Portrait Gallery, prompted me to consider whether the latest camera technologies are bringing better pictures than those of yesteryear.
The first point to make is that it is people who take photographs, the cameras are simply the equipment they use to create their images.
There is no doubting that an up-to-the-minute mirrorless camera with a high resolution sensor and top quality lens can capture dynamic range and detail that far outstrip the capabilities of earlier technology.
Much of the imagery on display at the Sony Awards will have been created using modern cameras. There is no doubting the quality of these photographs and the Awards, of course, recognise excellence across a range of genres. You do not get to see your images on the gallery walls without triumphing over hundreds of thousands of others from around the world.
However, for me the mark of a truly great photograph is its ability both to have an instant impact and to be fixed in the memory for weeks, months, even years to come.
An hour after looking at the Sony exhibition, I headed to the National Portrait Gallery. This includes photographs of some of our more familiar faces. I found these images have stayed with me as much, if not more, than the very recent pictures I looked at earlier.
Go back a little further and scan the ‘greats’ from the dawn of photography, through the analogue days and on to the introduction of digital – Adams, Cartier-Bresson, Lange, McCullin. I am willing to wager, if you follow photography, at least some of their photographs will be imprinted on your mind. The cameras weren’t as good. The prints may not offer today’s fine detail but the images are outstanding.
Next stop: ‘Fragile Beauty’ from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish collection at the V&A in May.
In the meantime, I guess we’re all hoping to capture that iconic image that will hold the attention of viewers for years to come – whatever the camera we are using.