The "Digital" Era

As digital imaging progresses more and more through the years, many film photographers feel the pressure to assimilate into this new era. Without thinking about the repercussions to old fashioned film studios and photographers, new technology has inevitably destroyed the artform that was once considered priceless. The introduction of digital cameras along with the ablity to scan and upload copyrighted information with little to no repercussion has turned film photography from essential to non-existent. The question is, with so much advancement in technology, are we losing the appreciation of an artform to what is cheaper and easier in the end? When a photographer takes a portrait, he or she is not selling the portrait, but the ability to create a memory that will last a lifetime. With our new age digital cameras we are taking that artform into our own, unprofessional hands and settling for snapshots that cost 40 cents to develop at Wal-Mart. Or even worse, those who are purchasing portraits from a professional photographer are scanning them to computers and printing them at little cost while the photographer looses in profit. What should be done to save this art, or is there anything we can do at all?