Sound,paper and memorabilia: resources for a simpler digital photography

In this paper we reflect on a body of work to develop a simpler form of digital photography. We give three examples of ‘Less is More’ thinking in this area which are directed and inspired by naturalistic user behaviours and reactions to design ideas. Each example happens to review the place of an old technology in the new scheme of things, and challenges a technological trend in the industry. Hence, we consider the role of sound in photography to recommend audiophotographs rather than short video clips as a new media form. We look again at the role of paper in photo sharing and recommend its support and augmentation against the trend towards screen-based viewing. Finally, we consider the role of physical souvenirs and memorabilia alongside photographs, to recommend their use as story triggers and containers, in contrast to explicit multimedia presentations. The implications for simple computing are discussed. This paper originated from the International Forum ‘Less is More—Simple computing in an age of complexity’, 27–28 April 2005, Cambridge UK.