Everyone's having a go...

Boy has photography come a long way since that first shot out of Nicéphore Niépce's window circa 1826. The art form is so widespread now, that, rather than simply admiring the view, we look at it critically, and consider how best to capture it through a lens.

Photography is embedded in our everyday culture now, so much so that it's unusual not to own a camera. Digital equipment was only briefly too expensive for the masses, before becoming the norm and ultimately more economical than film photography. Contemporary technology is increasingly hybrid - things like camera-phones are common place so we go nowhere without a camera of some description. It's not just special occasions that are captured on 'film' - anything counts as a Kodak moment now, since the preoccupation is increasingly with framing the experience to achieve the 'perfect' record, rather than experiencing the 'perfect' moment itself.

People have been known to say that they had a disappointing time on holiday but it was worth going just for the photographs; just to show they'd been there. What on earth does that mean?!! Seriously, really think about it... what the bloody hell are they talking about?!!! Is it really more important to have a wonderful set of photographs than memories of a fantastic holiday? Surely no one would agree with that... would they? (Other than, perhaps, a travel photographer who needs the pictures to earn some dollar).

I'd bet that everyone has lamented like me that 'it was incredible, I just wish I'd had my camera with me'. In other words, there's no point in having a jolly good time unless you're documenting it in glorious technicolour (or the delicate tones of black, white and grey). In fact - you can have a decidedly crap time, but as long as you pose for some 'hilarious' pictures to post on Facebook the day after, you'll get away with it scot free. I've been on some nights out when the photographic 'evidence' portrays a much better evening than we actually had.

Maybe then, try hard enough and if the moment itself isn't perfect, you can still achieve the 'perfect' picture, although there's a lot of competition out there: everyone's having a go.