Have we become lazy photographers?

Have We Become Lazy Photographers?

AI, human and animal eye tracking, and advanced autofocus systems things we have all become familiar with. So, is it fair to ask: have we become lazy photographers? Modern technology has transformed the way we approach photography, making it easier than ever to capture stunning images. With all this amazing technology at our hands, have we lost sight of the true essence of the craft?

Many photographers today revel in the modern accessibility of their cameras, allowing them to focus more on composition and less on technical details; more like focusing on the likes and follows am I right? As a Fujifilm user, I’m well aware that Fujifilm’s autofocus system isn’t quite on par with the big three; Canon, Nikon, and Sony. In today’s world, it’s easy to jump ship and switch brands whenever something better comes along. However, I remain loyal to Fujifilm because the brand resonates deeply with my own photographic philosophy. This loyalty has driven me to spend countless hours mastering my camera, understanding its capabilities, and knowing precisely what it can and cannot do. A Fujifilm system is more than capable of capturing any photograph, as it's the photographer and not the camera that the master of their own craft. While a Sony, Canon or Nikon might have different setups in which the autofocus plays its part, and maybe it's already set to default, and that's more than good enough. Fujifilm has a plethora of choices and customisation on how the autofocus works, and its understanding of how these settings work goes a long way. Taking time out from watching Youtubers and Tiktokers complain about what a camera lacks and doesn't have. Take a minute and really think do you understand how your camera works or are you being played like a fool into believing that your camera system isn't up to par and that you need to switch to get the image that you've seen on your phone screen?

Before autofocus, believe it or not, photographers had to rely on something called manual focus. Yes, in those “stone age” days, photographers manually determined where their cameras would focus. And yet, when we look back at iconic images, like those captured by Henri Cartier-Bresson during the decisive moment, they were all achieved using manual focus.

In today’s world, autofocus has become a major factor in how we rank camera brands. But I don’t believe it should be the be-all and end-all. Every camera made in the last 80 years or more is fully capable of taking great images. However, with the rise of social media photography, we’ve come to take autofocus for granted. If it misses by even a millimetre, we’re quick to label it as a fault. And yet, Leica is renowned for its M series cameras and continues to excel, producing some of the best images in the photography world without relying on autofocus. Let’s accept that autofocus is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things. It’s more than capable of meeting our needs. We just need to stop being so greedy and start being thankful for the incredible technology we have at our fingertips.

So, my question to you is this: should we take a step back and consider that what we hold in our hands today is a far more capable machine than what photographers had 20 or 30 years ago?

Anyway im away to take some pictures.