2018 is the current zenith of photographic technology, but that ceiling gets raised objectively every 18 months or so in accordance with Moore’s Law. In terms of photo technology, society is now at the point where computational ability is that which is the greatest definer of photo quality. Certainly, lenses, exposure, and other things traditionally inhering to camera technology still play a part; but computational tech has made most film-related photography defunct. These days everything is digital.

Still, there are a few hacks you can use to save money. Get a five-dollar laser pointer, take out the lens, use a bobby-pin to hold it against your cellphone camera’s lens, then tape this improvised enhancer to your phone. You’ll be able to get extreme closeups in high definition this way.

When you get right down to it, the truth is, just as physical enhancement solutions have limitations, so do digital ones. You can only “zoom in” so much to a picture that has a finite level of pixels defining it. Going further requires a lens that allows for closer focusing. You can check out this website for a list of twenty nearly “steampunk” hacks for traditional and digital cameras.

You can find 3D Printing solutions that can prove useful in a variety of situations where you need to get prototype information regarding future building constructions—this is done through additive manufacturing; as the site puts it, this is: “…one of the most effective ways to produce complex parts. You can get detailed physical copies of your CAD designs using our first-rate 3D printing technology.”

2018 Tech Innovations

Speed and refinement characterize the majority of transitions defining 2018. Mirrorless cameras shooting 20 frames per second can capture moving targets with greater clarity and precision than ever. High resolution need not be lost though swift shooting is taking place. One hack for this year involves staying as close to the cutting edge here as possible, giving you an edge up on competing photographers.

But one area of photography development that often goes unconsidered is in terms of complementary tech. For example, you may not have a slow-motion function on your smartphone’s camera, but if the resolution is at the right level, you can use a computer to make a normal shot legitimately slow-motion. Granted, working with a camera specifically designed for the purpose will likely render better moving pictures; but there are still exceptional ways you can work around limitations.

Consider, as an example, using a 3D printer to re-create a photo tangibly. Essentially, you can take a picture, then have a 3D version of that picture printed. There are a lot of potential possibilities, here. It’s almost like you can now achieve 3D photos! Indeed, such a thing is truly just on the horizon. Though 3D tech is primarily useful in terms of prototyping and swift production of complex components, it also has applicability in terms of design and potential pitches.

If you were working on a film set, you could essentially “storyboard” your set-pieces using 3D printing technology. This can make it so you’re able to produce more realistic, dynamic, cost-effective shots unattainable otherwise. It’s a great way to give production studios edge.

Lithophanes and Beyond

“Lithophane” can now be created which replicate the effect of three-dimensions through a two-dimensional medium. You can also check out this Kickstarter campaign about the advent of photos printed using a 3D printer.

There is a new horizon that becomes closer with each technological innovation today. If you’re willing to “cross-pollinate”, as it were, in terms of tech usage, you can really get some surprising results.

The future is always an intangible quantity that can’t be specifically tied down to any one perspective or innovation, but if these things continue to progress as they have, the holograms of science fiction may very soon be real aspects of our regular social interactions. Already hologram technology has made wonders like the resurrection of Tupac possible.

Photographic mapping technology increasingly expands 3D technology’s accuracy and scope. If you’ve used Google Earth recently, then you’ve likely seen just how comprehensive this tech has become. You can zoom right in on a given street, and in many cases, walk right inside a shop.

Using New Technology

It is getting to the point where there is enough available technology out there that profiting from combining varying next-gen solutions is going to represent many profitable horizons. Facebook didn’t introduce anything new to computational tech—not initially, anyway. It was just a social interface platform for colleges.

Now, this is an innovation within conventional computational tech that has grown to the point where it can influence international elections. In an increasingly visual culture, the applications of more refined photographic technology may be limitless.

About the author: this is a guest post by Ashley Lipman, content marketing specialist, an award-winning writer who discovered her passion in providing creative solutions for building brands online. 
Title photo by Moose

Check our handy tips on black-and-white photography and read about the history of stock photography.
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