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Ryan Somelofske remembers getting a little point-and-shoot digital camera for Christmas in fourth grade. He said he became obsessed with taking photos of the sky and trees and the simple little things around him.

Phones, social media and online shopping have changed the accessibility of photography, along with the way photographers and videographers have shared and viewed content and purchased their mediums.

Photography came about in 1826, when the first photograph was taken by Nicéphore Niépce in France. But it wasn’t until 1888 that the Kodak camera hit the market and cameras and photography became an art form available to the public. Fast forward to now, and anyone can take a photograph and publish it.

Somelofske, who earned his master’s in art photography from Syracuse University and now teaches in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, says that there are both benefits and drawbacks for photographers who choose to put their work on social media, such as being able to have your work be more widespread.

“​​You can easily get your art out there — you can find other photographers, other artists, other video makers, other filmmakers who share similar ideals, values, aesthetics — and that’s amazing to have,” Somelofske said.

At the same time, social media has “gamified” a lot of art, Somelofske said, in that people post and maneuver social media algorithms to gain likes and followers.

Though social media can complicate photography, the VPA instructor still called photography a second language for him because of its accessibility and sharing capabilities.

“Photography has changed my life and has allowed me to tell my stories and consider stories and reconsider the space and time around me,” Somelofske said.

Doug DuBois, an associate professor of art photography in VPA, said that due to the availability of phones and cameras on phones, photography is omnipresent in most people’s lives.

But while everyone has access to the craft, artists are set apart by how they use the medium. Dubois compared photography to writing, in that most people are literate, but not everyone can write a great novel.

“But literacy is universal … so are our cameras. So it’s not a threat; it’s just a great pose with the camera, and artists will still remain. I think they are valued,” DuBois said.

Online shopping has impacted brick and mortar stores in every department, from clothing to technology, and it is something that has touched the photography industry as well. Lydia Johnson, the owner of Johnson Studio & Camera, said that nothing compares to the credibility of brick and mortar.

There’s a very personal relationship that the store has with customers as they are constantly teaching at the store’s counter, she said. When the customer is buying something, they offer all sorts of advice.

Johnson Studio & Camera, located at ​​6565 Kinne Road in Syracuse, opened in the 1960s and prides itself on being a store that is a haven for photographers. It sells cameras and offers private lessons to teach people about the art of photography. The store also has other services such as camera repairs, print production, photo restoration and custom graphic design.

Going into a store and interacting with an experienced photographer and person knowledgeable about cameras and camera equipment is more reliable than buying a possibly damaged or faulty piece of equipment online, Johnson said. Experts like Johnson make sure that the equipment is checked by technicians and take time with customers to talk about their purchases. She said people across the central New York area come to her shop because they know the owners and trust their advice.

“You don’t feel the same sense of credibility when you’re buying from an online store on eBay, for example, because there’s no personal relationship there,” Johnson said.

Traditional cameras do, however, present an accessibility issue due to the cost of the equipment and knowledge needed to use them. Somelofske felt that a good option would be cameras being accessible at public locations such as libraries.

“It would be so cool if they had an easily accessible camera, check-out options for the public to just have still cameras, moving cameras and spaces to then edit and experiment with the footage they make,” Somelofske said. “Also if analog film itself was cheaper and more available. There’s environmental impacts from that, of course, but I love shooting on film. There’s a sort of mystery and magic to it.”

Published on November 28, 2021 at 11:45 pm