It seems today's society spends more time on social media than embracing themselves in the world around them. In the article, “We are increasingly thinking mobile first” it explains that so many people have resorted to life in the online world using snap chat as their new “photography” career, which brings a challenge to those who work in the profession. Photography dates back to 1826 when the first photograph was taken by Joseph Nicephore but smartphones with cameras did not come out until 2002, a great span between having the little history on the camera phone. I am not discouraging the use of phones (Snapchat) to take pictures but I believe it takes the sanctity of capturing a moment away. 

“Vertical is a symbol, whereas horizontal is a story”, said by Natalie Keyssar.

 Vertical being how pictures are taken and viewed via snap chat, horizontal being the way most photos are viewed via camera. This is important to understand because where a phone can simply be turned on and snap a picture, professional photographers take time and effort to make sure that artistically, the picture or moment is captured fantastically. Photographers put time and effort into their pictures; adjusting the lens, adapting the ISO to the lighting, fixing the focus, and setting up a scene or watching and waiting for one to present itself.
Smartphones also force us to be constricted to few filters that take away our artistic vision, which is discouraged in the photography world.

Tomas Van Houtryve explains, “ In the age of smartphones, I’m hesitant to encourage photographers to bend to the constraints of app engineers at the cost of their own artistic vision”.

As a human being and photographer, I believe that art is how we express ourselves and yes, much of art is influenced by others but, it is distracting I find that apps have a hold on our thought process. I encourage others to use whatever means of a camera they have but to not be confined by society's set imagination and grow as an artistic individual.