Been tons of chatter online about the Lytro camera the last few weeks. In case you’ve been living under a rock or too busy to notice, then you’ll be happy to know that the new Lytro camera allows you to select focus AFTER you shoot the photograph. AMAZING technology developed at Stanford by Ren Ng. Just like you can change the white balance after capture when shooting RAW, well now you can put those striking blue eyes of your model in focus later.
Consider that with the technology of a camera like the RED Epic – shooting a 5,000 pixel wide image at 96 frames per second. You can aim that sucker at a scene and shoot 1000 14 megapixel still images in 10 seconds. No more need to catch ‘the decisive moment’!
Combine these two technologies? Whew! Now you’ve really got something.
Unless… your pictures have no focus. If you think that you’re photos are going to be better in the future because you don’t have to pick the moment or focus on your subject, you’re entirely wrong. These technologies are truly amazing, revolutionary and will continue to change the face of photography as we know it.
But mark my words, if you’re goal is to get your work to stand out from the crowd (as good art does), then you’ll need to focus all the more.
Focus on subject.
Focus on content.
Focus on meaning.
Focus on artistic vision…
…because these are all the tools that computers can’t help you with and these are the only ways from here on out that you’re going to be able to make a mark.
Focus on that.
[and don’t hate it, celebrate it, cause it’s all you’ve got.]
Well put Chase. I love the merits of the technology and I think while it may give you another tool in your arsenal for perfecting an image, it doesn’t affect the tool between your ears.
True that. It’s all about the why, not the how. The hows come and go, but the whys are forever.
This is the SAME problem as using the GigaPan technology… The CUSTOMER picks the focus or the frame of the photo, not the photographer…
This is a new technology not a new snapshot, letting your customer or viewer pick the focus or crop is WONDERFUL and interactive! To compare the Lytro or the GigaPan to a Red is like comparing Apples to Orangoutangs!
Either I’ve entirely missed your point or you’re speaking shit.
The only thing that gadgets like these do, is put cameras in the hands of people who ordinarily would never think of having one. The ‘net will flood with millions more of mediocre images, taken by people who have no business taking and posting pictures. I’m all for advancing technology and own a new model DSLR. But, I believe that it takes years to learn to “see” the final image in your mind’s eye before you even leave the house. I really try to encourage people to pick up a camera to capture the world around them. But I emphasize how important it is to “see.”
I’m sure when you were first beginning you were probably one of those with mediocre images. How would you have liked it if someone said you had no business taking pictures because you sucked?