The rise of digital photography and imaging has transformed the
landscape of visual communication and culture. Events, activities,
moments, objects, and people are 'captured' and distributed
as images on an unprecedented scale. Many of these are shared
publicly; some remain private, others become intellectual property,
and some have the potential to shape global events. In this timely
introduction, the ubiquity of photography is explored in relation
to interdisciplinary debates about changes in the production,
distribution, and consumption of images in digital culture.
Ubiquitous Photography provides a critical examination of
the technologies, practices, and cultural significance of digital
photography, placing the phenomenon in historical, social, and
political-economic context. It examines shifts in image-making,
storage, commodification, and interpretation as highly significant
processes of digitally mediated communication in an increasingly
image-rich culture. It covers debates in social and cultural
theory, the history and politics of image-making and manipulation,
the current explosion in amateur photography, tagging and sharing
via social networking, and citizen journalism. The book engages
with key contemporary theoretical issues about memory and mobility,
authorship and authenticity, immediacy and preservation, and the
increased visibility of ordinary social life.
Drawing upon a range of sources and original empirical research,
Ubiquitous Photography provides a comprehensive introduction
to critical academic debate and concrete developments in the field
of digital photography. It is essential reading for students and
scholars interested in media and society, visual culture, and
digital technology.
