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Photography

Photography

Date: Oct 17 2008

Themes: Hobbies, Tech

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Technology often changes an art form. Think about how the electric guitar affected music. Plenty of people still play music on more traditional instruments, but it was the guitar that first filled sports stadiums with music fans.

That was 50 years ago, so we can look back and see how music changed. But most recently, photography has gotten a new piece of technology. Go to any landmark anywhere in the world and you will find people with digital cameras. Look at any page on this site or any other social network and you’ll see digital photos people took of themselves and their friends.

But before digital cameras, the number of photos people took was limited by the cost of film and developing it. Photos had to be printed in newspapers or books to be shared with lots of people.

How have digital cameras changed the art of photography? In time it will be clearer, but you can listen to Jason and Amanda’s thoughts on the subject now.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Jason

Amanda

Amanda

Jason:  So I was cleaning out my closet the other day and I found my old camera, just like a really cheap little camera. But I threw some film in there that was lying around too and I actually took some photos, you know, on film for the first time in years.

Amanda:  Wait, did you say film? Or did you say memory card?

Jason:  Exactly.

Amanda:  Did I hear you right? What was this from? High school?

Jason:  Yeah. From high school.

Amanda:  See, that’s crazy because I can’t remember the last time I talked to someone that actually had a camera that used film and I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.

Jason:  I don’t know either. I’ve seen some really good digital photos though.

Amanda:  I have too. And digital photography has made the art of photography more accessible to people who didn’t have a lab or didn’t have access to one or didn’t want to learn the process or skill of developing film.

Jason:  But I found that it was cool to only have 20 pictures and just use them carefully and then I’m going to get them all developed and they’re all going to come at once. You know what I mean?

Amanda:  That’s true. There’s something to be said for that. You have to use some discretion otherwise…Today you have a thousand photos or opportunities to do whatever you want with.

Jason:  Exactly. And you can actually miss a moment because you’re too busy taking a hundred pictures of it.

Amanda:  That’s so true.

Jason:  Whereas, if you have a camera with film, you can just take one picture and you’re like, “OK, I got it,” you know?

Amanda:  That’s very true and there’s more satisfaction to developing a roll of 20 and seeing what you got there versus a thousand pulling up on your computer.

Jason:  Yeah.

Amanda:  So let me guess, you developed the film and you scanned them in and now they’re digital files and you put them on your Flickr account?

Jason:  Totally. Right there on Ebaby! and MySpace, everywhere.

 

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Discussion

While cleaning his closet, Jason found his old camera. He even found some film with it so he decided to take some pictures. Amanda is surprised. She had almost forgotten about cameras that use film.

Jason and Amanda agree that digital photography is cool because so many more people can take and share their photos now since you don’t have to have a darkroom to develop them. Some digital pictures are really good too! But in some ways, it’s nice to have a limited number of pictures to take. It makes you value them and it keeps you from wasting time taking hundreds of pictures of the same thing!

But of course, Amanda knows that film or digital, Jason won’t be able to resist showing off his photos on the Internet. He scanned them in to share with his friends. When was the last time you had film developed? Do you think digital cameras have been good for the art of photography or do you think it was better back when film was more common?

 

Comments

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La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

This is the nature of technology, it always comes with things make our lives easier.. 

06:59 PM Aug 20 2012 |

ezadmehr

ezadmehr

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I love photography and its my favorites. when I going to nature or In general, When I going out, photography makes not only look rather I see around.

11:59 AM Aug 20 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Well…..... let me recollect when was the last time I had film developed.  I guess it was in 2002. 


I never liked old cameras with film because of the limit of  the shots on the film and because you never know is your photo successful or not untill you get in your lab ( darkroom) and see. Very often you sure that photo should be perfect but in fact it is dark or bright or fuzzy. There are lots of disappointments then :(


Digital camera allows you to see the  quality of the photo immediately and photograph it again if you wish.


I still keep some old cameras in my collection. They are the rarity now. :)



05:39 AM May 03 2012 |

art1357

art1357

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

My love


just


My camera


 

06:51 PM May 16 2011 |

1 person likes this

Eva--

Australia

I LOVE to take photos .because i think it's a good way to remember something have gone.

01:54 PM Dec 03 2010 |

1 person likes this

Gossia

Gossia

Poland

I love take a photos !!!
;D

09:28 AM Jul 27 2010 |

Just.Sara

Just.Sara

Syrian Arab Republic

i love photography

07:03 AM Jul 13 2009 |

hady

hady

Russian Federation

Actually it’s all abt comfort of handling with digital cam..and the quolity of shot…while making shot you could correct exposition… actually i’m not talking abt shotbugs but at least presumers

07:08 PM Feb 22 2009 |

miffoo

miffoo

Slovakia

nice lesson:)

10:28 AM Jan 16 2009 |

cxqing

China

I like digital camera,too.

05:45 AM Oct 23 2008 |

nchomchuen

Thailand

great!!

 

03:32 AM Oct 21 2008 |

luu.-21

luu.-21

Argentina

 I think both of them have a good and a bad side,

I like digital cameras because you can know if you've taken the photo well or not but sometimes when you put the photos on the computer maybe you can lost them (when the computer don't work or something), and if you have the roll camera, you have the photo in a paper, so you can keep it for a lot of time.

I have a digital camera because takes the picture better than the roll camera, but it's another thing . 

08:15 PM Oct 20 2008 |

1 person likes this

bbbfish

bbbfish

China

i like photography,so i have so many picture .

02:34 AM Oct 20 2008 |

rose prencesa

Jordan

photography is keeping the moment within a frame.

12:14 AM Oct 20 2008 |

kaira_harry

Yemen

woow
i like photogrphy
and i working in the photoshop
hahahah
is great….

06:39 PM Oct 19 2008 |

Totto

Totto

Sudan

Well, It has been five or six years since I used a film camera.  It was cool back them, for there was no subs.  I like the digital more now, because someone can take as many pictures as she or he wants.

06:21 PM Oct 19 2008 |

stager

stager

China

maybe it's video.

04:02 PM Oct 19 2008 |

Eydo

Eydo

Turkey

That was what we used to do all, before:)

No charge of film for digital cameras nowadays so we can shot free of charge, without paying for films and developing as well:))

09:49 AM Oct 19 2008 |

紫竹芸

China

I LIKE IT

06:28 AM Oct 19 2008 |

manisharya

India

its a good topic.everyone enjoying with photography

05:22 AM Oct 19 2008 |

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