Digital Photography Revolution

Last week in class, a group presented a DSLR as a clever device. At first, I disagreed with this choice, but as I consider it more, the introduction of consumer and prosumer cameras really paved the way for social networking sites focusing on photos, like Flickr.

The creation of Flickr in 2004 (and subsequent acquisition by Yahoo! in 2005) gave people the chance to create a collaborative environment where they could share, critique, and learn about photography. You no longer have to be a professional photographer to showcase your work, as it removes the concept of a traditional "gallery" and opens that opportunity up for anyone to display their images.

I feel the biggest impact is for beginner photographers, as it provides a good learning environment with like-minded people using similar gear, and can help people become better photographers.