I want to discuss how photography became such a widespread technology through the lens of Roger's Diffusion of Innovations Theory. This theory has 5 key elements: The innovation, the adopters of the innovation, communication channels, the passage of time, and social systems. As we can see today, photography is very wide-spread and accessible to almost everyone within seconds, but how did it reach this point? Why was there a shift from traditional art to photography, or from film cameras to digital cameras? Was photography widely accepted from the beginning?
The innovation of photography was revolutionary for many reasons, but particularly for recording reality visually and, later on, for its ease of use for people of any skill level. As for the people who adopted the innovation, the earliest ones were people with artistic skills. Before the Calotype process was invented, photography was not available to everyone and involved a much more intensive process, so only select groups of people were qualified or had access to the technology.
In the 1890's, George Eastman created the Eastman Kodak Company and advanced photographic technology that increased the access people had to it. Kodak cameras were more user-friendly and also made photographic technology more affordable. People would take their pictures on film rolls and send them back to Kodak to be processed for them. By 1888, the price of handheld cameras was reduced to $25 and by 1900 it cost $1 with cheaper film. These prices and convenient technology developments made photography more accessible to the public, who were the late adopters. The innovation was attractive because anyone of any age or status could be a photographer.
As for the communication channels element of the Diffusion Theory, photography revolutionized communication and even became its own communication language through the capture of visual images. Photography gained attention and popularity via their use in news papers and its ability to visually document important events, tell stories, record memories, and share about different cultures. The passage of time element is also met by the innovation of photography. The technology had been developed and improved upon since at least the 1800s.
During the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution there was a society shift in worldview away from the Renaissance towards a wider acceptance of science and technology. Photography was developing during this period, so it was easily accepted by most of society as a new art medium and form of communication. The growth and expansion of photography even influenced the Realism Movement (see right) in the art world. Each of these 5 elements of the Diffusion Theory describe how photography became so widespread and why it is still around today.
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