As I went through the process of archiving and backing up my collection of images, I couldn’t help but think: do digital images last forever? Or do they only last as long as the lifespan of a photographer? With these questions in mind, let’s explore my thoughts on digital photography and its future.
Value Versus Lifespan
There may not be a definitive answer to how long an image lasts, but I often find that an image’s lifespan strongly correlates with its value. In short, we tend to appreciate things we value for longer periods. The rise of digital photography and recent rapid technological advancements have definitely lowered the entry barrier to photography, making it widely accessible. As a result, we tend to create many more photographs daily, which we may not remember or care for sufficiently. The influx of consumable images makes it challenging for any single photo to stand out before being replaced by newer images, unlike in the past when each image was taken with greater care and appreciation.
The Deeper Issue and Vulnerability With Digitalization and Technology Advancement
Personally, I see a deeper aspect of this topic that is seldom discussed among photographers, and it’s not about having a backup system. As digital data becomes more important, backing up is essential to reduce data loss risks due to hardware failures. However, this might be just a part of a larger issue. While we enjoy the convenience brought by technological advancement, we must also acknowledge the risk of our image formats becoming obsolete, replaced by more efficient forms, making our current collections inaccessible in the future. For instance, CD backups have become obsolete with the standardization of hard disk backups.
That said, if your images are stored in a digital medium that requires specialized devices to read and decode, they may never be seen again once the original creator, you, lose interest in them. It’s a significant effort for anyone to maintain that level of self-interest, unlike finding a stack of images in a box that transcends time, like the creations of Vivian Maier. Even if someone shows great interest, data accessibility remains a question. Who should have access to our drives, which likely contain more than just images? Hence, it might be accurate to say that with digitalization, images might only live as long as their creator’s lifespan.
Our Approach Towards Online Presence
Contrarily, some might argue that images uploaded online tend to stay there indefinitely. While this may be true, it largely depends on our approach to creating an online presence that stands out, either through exclusivity or being prolific. If you’re exclusive, your work may be remembered, reproduced, and constantly shared, keeping it alive. If you’re prolific, you’ll have to hope some of your work survives and continues to circulate online to attract attention. If neither, your images may only live as long as you actively post about them.
Print Versus Digital Format
While digital is an excellent format for sharing and storing photographs, it heavily relies on devices and infrastructure. No matter how good the images are, if these infrastructures cease to exist, your work will disappear. Conversely, prints have a higher chance of survival and don’t rely on any device, although they degrade over time.
Education and Platform
Lastly, I believe educating future generations is key to prolonging your work’s lifespan. While acknowledging that nothing lasts forever, imparting knowledge, especially in photography, will keep the wheel turning. By teaching our children the importance of art and creativity in relation to photographs, the value of photographs will continue to thrive and be passed down through generations. As Vivian Maier said:
Well, I suppose nothing is meant to last forever. We have to make room for other people. It’s a wheel. You get on, you have to go to the end. And then somebody has the same opportunity to go to the end and so on.
