Photgraph
Visualhttp://vcj.sagepub.com/ Communication
Digital photography: communication, identity, memory
José van Dijck Visual Communication 2008 7: 57 DOI: 10.1177/1470357207084865 The online version of this article can be found at: http://vcj.sagepub.com/content/7/1/57
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>> Version of Record - Jan 21, 2008 What is This?
Downloaded from vcj.sagepub.com at University of Nottingham on March 5, 2013
visual communication
ARTICLE
Digital photography: communication, identity, memory
JOSÉ VAN DIJCK University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
ABSTRACT
Taking photographs seems no longer primarily an act of memory intended to safeguard a family’s pictorial heritage, but is increasingly becoming a tool for an individual’s identity formation and communication. Digital cameras, cameraphones, photoblogs and other multipurpose devices are used to promote the use of images as the preferred idiom of a new generation of users. The aim of this article is to explore how technical changes (digitization) combined with growing insights in cognitive science and socio-cultural transformations have affected personal photography. The increased manipulation of photographic images may suit the individual’s need for continuous self-remodelling and instant communication and bonding. However, that same manipulability may also lessen our grip on our images’ future repurposing and reframing. Memory is not eradicated from digital multipurpose tools. Instead, the function of memory reappears in the networked, distributed nature of digital photographs, as most images are sent over the
Digital photography: communication, identity, memory
José van Dijck Visual Communication 2008 7: 57 DOI: 10.1177/1470357207084865 The online version of this article can be found at: http://vcj.sagepub.com/content/7/1/57
Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com Additional services and information for Visual Communication can be found at: Email Alerts: http://vcj.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://vcj.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations: http://vcj.sagepub.com/content/7/1/57.refs.html
>> Version of Record - Jan 21, 2008 What is This?
Downloaded from vcj.sagepub.com at University of Nottingham on March 5, 2013
visual communication
ARTICLE
Digital photography: communication, identity, memory
JOSÉ VAN DIJCK University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
ABSTRACT
Taking photographs seems no longer primarily an act of memory intended to safeguard a family’s pictorial heritage, but is increasingly becoming a tool for an individual’s identity formation and communication. Digital cameras, cameraphones, photoblogs and other multipurpose devices are used to promote the use of images as the preferred idiom of a new generation of users. The aim of this article is to explore how technical changes (digitization) combined with growing insights in cognitive science and socio-cultural transformations have affected personal photography. The increased manipulation of photographic images may suit the individual’s need for continuous self-remodelling and instant communication and bonding. However, that same manipulability may also lessen our grip on our images’ future repurposing and reframing. Memory is not eradicated from digital multipurpose tools. Instead, the function of memory reappears in the networked, distributed nature of digital photographs, as most images are sent over the
Citations: http://vcj.sagepub.com/content/7/1/57.refs.html >> Version of Record - Jan 21, 2008 What is This? Downloaded from vcj.sagepub.com at University of Nottingham on March 5, 2013 visual communication Copyright © 2008 SAGE Publications (Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Singapore: http://vcj.sagepub.com) /10.1177/1470357207084865 Vol 7(1): 57–76 [1470-3572(200702)7:1; 57–76] Downloaded from vcj.sagepub.com at University of Nottingham on March 5, 2013 Visual Communication 7(1) Downloaded from vcj.sagepub.com at University of Nottingham on March 5, 2013 Downloaded from vcj.sagepub.com at University of Nottingham on March 5, 2013 at the same time, communicating experiences with the help of photographs is an integral part of tourist photography Downloaded from vcj.sagepub.com at University of Nottingham on March 5, 2013 communication and media devices (Liechti and Ichikawa, 2000; Schiano et al., 2002) Downloaded from vcj.sagepub.com at University of Nottingham on March 5, 2013 ‘getting in touch’, rather than ‘reality capturing’ or ‘memory preservation’, are the social meanings transferred onto this type of photography Downloaded from vcj.sagepub.com at University of Nottingham on March 5, 2013 mechanisms