An Analytical Study of Camera Lens Usage and Current Trends of Sri Lankan Wedding Photographers

Abstract

Documentary sources confirm that the history of wedding photography in Sri Lanka dates back to the year 1870- In the early days, only wedding photos of British citizens were photographed, and after 1910, there were also reports of wedding photography of natives. With the technological advancements in wedding photography, all aspects are merging with art, creating new dimensions of photography and new social mobility. The main objective of this study was to study whether the camera lenses manufactured by different camera equipment companies according to social mobility affect the popularity and craftsmanship of wedding photographers. The research method here is the qualitative research method. Data was collected through interviews and content analysis with ten mature photographers born in Sri Lanka from 1990 to 2020 as the primary source. It was found that using lenses capable of taking extremely minimal depth-of-field photos has become a trend, and the current Sigma 85 mm camera lens was found to be the most used lens by wedding photographers. Camera lens manufacturing companies are currently producing wide aperture lenses that can take photos using only natural light, which has led to the creation of a social movement in photography, and thus, it was concluded that the technological development of camera lens is an essential factor for the art of wedding photography in Sri Lanka.