Recently a couple of new technologies have been revealed that may change photography as we know it. The first of these is the Lytro light field camera. Using a new type of light field sensor, this camera enables you to focus after you’ve actually taken the photo! The software also enables you to share the photos with other people, and they can change the focus as well. This sort of camera is in its infancy, with the Lytro being the only consumer camera to feature this tech so far, but I can easily see this trickling down into consumer point-and-shoot cameras in the next few years.

Another technology that Adobe has revealed is the “unblur” feature that they are working on for a future version of Photoshop. Using this feature you can actually rescue photos that otherwise would have been relegated to the trash heap. I finally have a reason to be thankful that I keep ALL my photos! The algorithm will work out what movement caused the photo to be blurred, and then automatically correct for it, resulting in a sharp photo from absolutely rubbish input. It even works on blurry text photos taken with a mobile phone (as you can see in the video below).

So, I put it to you – is this a good thing or a bad thing for photographers? I have seen lots of people whinging about these advances in photo technology, saying that now everyone is going to think they’re a professional photographer and it will just make it hard for “real pros” to make a dollar. I really don’t think this is the case, though. People whinged about digital when it came in, saying that it would never replace film. Even today I hear people saying that digital just can’t stand up to film. Yet for any foibles that digital had, it quickly became the standard for professional photographers. The fact is that technology moves along whether you like it or not, and it can certainly bring along some useful features. Whether you choose to cling to the old technology for one reason or another, that is completely up to you. Whilst these technologies seem amazing and will certainly be a big bonus for photographers, I still don’t see that they are any replacement for a good skillset. Whether you shoot with a film camera and manual focus lenses, the latest digital, or the new Lytro camera, there is still no substitute for being able to capture the mood of your surroundings, waiting for the right moment, framing the shot perfectly and pressing the button. What are your thoughts?