25th February 2010, 03:01 AM
One of the great advantages of digital photgraphy is that annotation of the image can be contained within the metadata - the photo as an artefact becomes unique and self-explanatory. I personally see this as the greatest advantage of digital media as regrads archive data. And once archivists get over their fears regarding non-transferability of digital data then 'wet' photography is dead in my book.
I mean after all what is the biggest danger to photo archives at the moment - nothing to do with digital media, but the danger that in a fairly short time non-one is going to be manufacturing reasonably priced film for analogue cameras or the means of turning film B+W or colour archive negatives into positive prints. And then what happens - archivists everywhere throw up their hands and start talking of the impending 'Domesday' scenario if all conventional photo archives aren't 'digitised' immediately!!
I mean after all what is the biggest danger to photo archives at the moment - nothing to do with digital media, but the danger that in a fairly short time non-one is going to be manufacturing reasonably priced film for analogue cameras or the means of turning film B+W or colour archive negatives into positive prints. And then what happens - archivists everywhere throw up their hands and start talking of the impending 'Domesday' scenario if all conventional photo archives aren't 'digitised' immediately!!
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...