Yes, there is a clear distinction between photography and video, but in my view the gap has narrowed considerably in the digital era. This is particularly evident in 360-degree photography, where a single captured image can be reframed in post-production and transformed into a video that reveals multiple angles and perspectives. The boundary between still and moving images is no longer as rigid as it once was.
I’m not a recent convert to slideshow photography. I cut my teeth on slide film and analogue AV productions in the late 1980s. Soon after taking up photography, I began creating AVs using dual Kodak Carousel projectors synced to a tape recorder, projecting Fuji Velvia slides. I vividly remember spending long nights marking the tape by hand to cue the advance of the image in a second projector. While I never reached the heights of national or international exhibitions, I regularly entered local city competitions and remained deeply engaged in the craft of audiovisuals.
Working in IT sales and service with Compaq during the rise of digital technology, I readily embraced the shift to digital photography. I even spoke at local camera clubs about what I called the “gorilla in the room” or "the snowball rolling down the mountain" - the inevitable transition to digital and what it meant for photographers.
A few years ago, I developed an interest in videography through commercial drone projects, and this gradually became part of my personal artistic practice. I’m not especially motivated by narrative or scripted storytelling. Instead, digital AV gives me the flexibility to present my imagery - primarily photography, and at times video - in a moving format that can often more effectively hold a viewer’s attention. I also regularly use a mobile camera and editing apps to create AV presentations.
Ultimately, however, what I produce reflects my own subjective perspective. I understand that it may not resonate with everyone.
Ciao Mark