ABSTRACT
Cameras are increasingly part and parcel of everyday life. They seem to be ubiquitous, used at social gatherings or when communicating over a distance, and are as well used for commercial, political and surveillance purposes. A broad variety of studies on pictures, images and visual culture have been published. Although a variety of differences can be found, many photo practices tend to continue along well-paved paths. Many families continue to take photos of graduations, birthdays, and travels and of people important to them. In the early stages of discussion on the impact of digital photography, many commentators stated that computer-generated photography did not refer to 'real events', as film-based photography was thought to do. Cultural anthropologists have a long history of focusing on the seemingly mundane ways in which people live and give meaning to their everyday lives, media and visual culture scholars have a much more recent interest in the practices in and around media use.
