September 1, 2003
How camera phones are changing the definition of picture-worthy
Japan Media Review has an interesting article on how camera phones are changing the definition of picture-worthy. "It's unlike the traditional camera, as it's ubiquitous presence invites a new kind of personal awareness, a persistent alertness to the visually newsworthy that makes amateur photojournalists out of its users".
DoCoMo House research lab at KeioUniversity has been been conducting detailed case studies of camera phone users. "Their goal has been to capture the actual photos and contexts in which the photos were taken to understand how camera phones are being used in everyday life in Tokyo".
"What counts as newsworthy, noteworthy and photo-worthy spans a broad spectrum from personally noteworthy moments that are never shared (a scene from an escalator) to intimately newsworthy moments to be shared with a spouse or lover (a new haircut, a child riding a bike). It also includes neta* to be shared among family or peers (a friend captured in an embarrassing moment, a cute pet shot) and microcontent uploaded to blogs and online journals. The transformation of journalism through camera phones is as much about these everyday exchanges as it is about the latest headline".
*In Japanese, "material" for news and stories is called "neta."
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/picturephoning/archives/2003/09/001515.htm