The Evolution of the Photographic Posture: Part Six

And again, the iPad 2, a tablet made by Apple Inc. in 2011 owning a front and a decent back camera, changed the photographic posture to a somehow awkward position. Needing to have both arms fully stretched out to hold the photographic device ready for action, people toiled with limited vision ability love their tablets thanks to an even bigger screen. But there are some other very good reasons why tablets are currently gaining more and more ground in the world of professional photography too.

Yet, more and more full time photographers are using tablets inside their studios and out in the field to remotely control, shoot, adjust and share their images wirelessly through their highly sophisticated camera and computer equipment. Tablets are also a very nifty tool to show clients your up-to-date portfolio without the need of bulky notebooks or desktop monitors. Tablets have become such an essential instrument for streaming, marketing, publishing, accounting, updating social media feeds, writing mails, etc., that many creatives see tablets as their number one must-have accessory they have to bring everywhere. If we follow the credo: “The best camera is the one that’s with you.”, we understand why photographs taken with tablets are continuously increasing in numbers and why they might become a movement by it’s own.

Of course, there is a big risk of loosing control over the ever-be-connected-internet-device, getting overly consumed by too much news and information on the fingertip hence wasting time and missing out on creative opportunities to do your own work of art. That’s maybe why I couldn’t find one serious iPad photographer whose work made it into a known gallery so far. But this, for sure, will be just a matter of time …

If it would be painting, famous English artist David Hockney who I mentioned earlier before in this series (Part One; writing about lost optical devices), was curious enough to turn the art world upside down by exhibiting hundreds of iPad and iPhone paintings he had drawn with his fingers. And that after he had become world famous known for his oil paintings and polaroid photographs. In 2012 he even designed a 176m2 curtain for the Vienna State Opera (PDF) — all drawn on an iPad. So, who’s photographer is to follow? …