I found this book a delight to read, as a well-researched collection that takes the reader through domestic photography and technology, starting in 1830 and concluding with thoughts on future directions. A bonus is the final chapter, which presents lessons for future research. This book covers human-computer interaction, visual media studies, and science and technology studies.

The book is situated between art and technology. The authors focus on the evolution of domestic photography, the portrait, and digital domestication. They accompany this information with detailed analyses of photographic technological evolution. This includes annotated visual examples where the authors demonstrate an obvious enjoyment of the subjects they present. Each chapter is self-contained and well researched, and provides comprehensive references.

The early chapters provide an interesting background that covers the business of cameras and domestic photography. The authors cover the “Portrait Path” well, and then present a history of the Kodak years. A well-written analysis of the history of digital photography follows. The authors also present the home lab, the Web, and social networking, and discuss the adoption of the online digital photo album, photo sharing, and digital rights management in some depth. The book raises issues such as temporality and archiving, and addresses the impact of sharing and copyright.

The appeal of this book is broad. If you are a visual artist or studio photographer, if you work in digital media or the Web, or if you are engaged in research related to the creative arts or technology, you will find this book engaging and helpful. Likewise, if you are engaged in research, you will find this book to be a gem.