Last month I saw the future of photography, not in a crystal ball, but at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York City. Aldus Huxley in Brave New World couldn’t have imagined where the medium is going. If you’re having trouble adjusting to digital photography, just wait until you see what’s new. I’ve got the latest scoop on cameras, new products and even what photography will look like in the next decade.

Over 24,000 people attended this annual event. Although it’s intended for professional photographers and advanced amateurs I find it a great way to see what will filter down to the consumer level, i.e. the family photographer. I got to play with new devices, talk with industry representatives and look at a lot of cool stuff such as:

• Kodak’s new EasyShare-One Camera. It’s 4 megapixels, stores up to 1500 pictures (depending on size) on its 256MB internal memory and has Wi-Fi enabling users to upload their pictures to the Kodak Gallery or send pictures to their printers with a touch of the rotational screen. Ever wish you could show Aunt Betty all your family photos when you visit well, with this new camera you can access all the picture files you’ve stored online and show them off using the screen on the back of the camera. Wow!
• Crane, the company that makes fine writing papers and pens now offers a two-sided digital inkjet printing paper called Museo that is 100% cotton and acid free. Different size paper is available from 17 by 22 inches for framing to pages perfect for scrapbooks or on rolls for banners or panoramas. Several card formats are also available. (Just remember that in order for your digital picture printouts to last for generations both the ink and the paper must be long-lasting.) For more information consult Wilhelm Research’s website (www.wilhelm-research.com).
• Do you bring extra digital memory cards on vacation so that you can maximize the number of images you can bring home? These little devices are very fragile, but now Gepe offers Card Safe, a shatter and waterproof case for carrying them around. At their booth, the company had one floating in a fish bowl. The best news is you won’t go broke buying another gadget. They sell for around $25.00.
• When Kodak stopped making slide projectors, I received a lot of questions from genealogists wondering about their slide collections. You can still buy slide projectors, Gepe.com offers a couple of different models. They don’t use Kodak carousel trays, but it’s nice to know that you can still project those images.

This year the highlight of this photo and design conference was the keynote talk by David Pogue, Technology Columnist for the New York Times. You can read his columns free on his website (www.davidpogue.com). His presentation “Technology: Visions of the Future” included interviews with representatives of several camera companies. This wasn’t just Pogue’s sense of where the industry is headed but words from people in the business of developing cameras. It was an entertaining presentation full of fun facts and interesting trends. I’ll be watching for the following developments:

• Touch Screens
  The new EasyShare camera uses a touch screen rather than buttons as controls. Other manufacturers are sure to follow. Screens are a big power user on digital cameras so manufacturers are developing new energy efficient displays.
• Different Shapes
  According to Pogue, digital camera design will stop imitating the look and feel of film cameras. Look for unusual shapes and materials.
• GPS Labeling
  Labeling your pictures will be easier than ever once cameras automatically record not only the date and time of the image but where you took it. GPS or Global Positioning Systems, like those road navigation systems in your car, are coming to cameras. You can learn more about GPS online at GPS World (www.gpsworld.com/).
• Better Batteries
  Running out of battery power during a family reunion is no fun. If you’re prepared for this inevitable problem then you’ve packed an extra charged battery. Manufacturers are working on this annoying issue and it looks like the solution might be hydrogen fuel cells. That’s all I know at this point.
• Amazing Software
  This is something every family photographer can appreciate. Soon cameras will have internal image recognition software that won’t take a picture if anyone blinks or doesn’t smile.

All through Pogue’s presentation I kept saying, “Oh.” Photography is changing rapidly and within a few years those film cameras will look like museum artifacts. The digital revolution is here to stay and it’s going to change how we take pictures, share them and even think about our family photographs.

Maureen is the author of Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs (Family Tree Books, 2005) and Preserving Your Family Photographs (Betterway, 2001). E-mail Maureen at mtaylor@taylorandstrong.com.

Copyright 2005, MyFamily.com.