As record crowds gathered inside the National Mall to witness Barack Obama take the oath of office, shutters snapped. From cell phones to point-and-shoots to DSLRs, it seemed everyone wanted to have their finger on the pulse of history, quite literally. Even people with front row seats on the steps of the Capitol took in the Inaugural action through their viewfinders and LCDs. One of my favorite take away images from the day was of Malia Obama collecting snapshots of her father with her grape colored Kodak Easyshare.

As I settled into our khaki-colored conference room to watch CNN’s coverage of the Inaugural proceedings, I noticed that one of my coworkers had begun recording the screen with her point-and-shoot. Sitting in my bluish-gray swivel chair, ducking acerbic comment after snarky quip from other smarter editors about Michelle Obama’s dress and Cheney’s wheelchair, I wondered: Has the entire country gone snap-happy?

CNN’s Photosynth technology, enabled via Silverlight, was another, albeit more advance way of historicizing the moment. Adjusting the resolution, color, and brightness, the software offered a 3D picture slideshow of multiple still images. My father and I watched the post-game highlights that night, as CNN’s political correspondent blew up images, displayed panoramic views, and explored interesting angles with a single touch. My father and I exchanged glances as we witnessed the far-reaching possibilities of technical innovation. Indeed, technology has come a long way since the days of waiting for Life Magazine to arrive.

I recall a friend that once told me about a Japanese emperor that traveled throughout Japan and wrote Haikus in order to document what he had observed. Maybe the photos that we collect from moments seen and vaguely remembered are our form of haiku; a way of stamping our fingerprints onto the thick canons of cultural history, and saying “I was there.”

See what our web editor, Alysha Sideman, captured from the crowd, as our on-site reporter here: www.imaginginfo.com

The digital revolution (it seems so antiquated to even call it that anymore) opened the doors for many to enter the photographic arena, but it also jump-started a quiet yet cranky undercurrent that chastised those who used Photoshop and other technological thingamajigs as a crutch instead of as subtle enhancement.

Professionals certainly had a valid gripe: After all, now even posers could manipulate, twist, and finagle photos with user-friendly hardware and software in attempts to create art, whether or not they had the vision or talent necessary to pull it off. Sometimes, the technology paved the way for hidden genius to erupt, but more often than not, it simply let loose a gaggle of layer-crazy wanna-bes who used every toolbar, gadget, and gizmo to create a chaotic hodgepodge that would be unrecognizable in its raw format.

That may be why the exhibit mentioned in the New York Times’ New Year’s Day edition is so refreshing. Entitled “First Doubt: Optical Confusion in Modern Photography,” the showcase at Yale highlights more than 100 “confounding” photos from the mid-19th century to the 21st century. They’re puzzling, strange, eye-catching—and totally unmanipulated. That’s right: According to the article, there was no digital trickery involved in any of the images. All the photos were exactly as the professionals saw them through the lens.

It’s an experiment in surreal comprehension—and a shout-out to old-school photography done the way it should be.

Happy New Year all!

Thanks to you guys, our loyal readers, ii.com just keeps getting better and better. As editor of the site, in 2008 I had the opportunity to monitor what you all like, what you don’t and am happy to report our online family continues to grow and grow.

And, the more our audience grows, the more opportunities it allows us to bring you the latest in breaking photo news, the most educational photo techniques around and an even larger selection of inspirational and informational online exclusives you won’t find anywhere else.

By all means, keep commenting on our stories and in our forums. As many of you have probably discovered, whenever we can we try to answer your questions and/or change copy/add photos to reflect what you tell us may be missing. Because of your comments, I know I continue to learn new things every day.

Two of the most important items I learned from our viewer comments in 2008?

1. Always post photos with articles on photo award winners (duh)

2. Always post prices with a product review (duh ditto).

I’m going to extend the same offer as I did in January 2008. Since this is your site, tell us what you want more of, what you want less of, and inform us of any questions you may have. This goes for any section of the website and for our three newsletters. BTW, if you haven’t already, you should sign up for them. They’re free and pretty cool. A lot of thought goes into them each week.

We have alot of new ii.com greatness in store for 2009. This year we will be adding many new sections, including a photo-of-the-day item where the photos we post are submitted by you. You’ll probably be seeing a new newsletter or two. And more.

Again, my sincere thanks for making ii.com your source for photography. And I know the other editors (Diane Berkenfeld, Jen Gidman and Tara Popper) of the imaging group, which includes Studio Photography magazine and Photo Trade News, feel the same way.

Feel free to drop me a line at alysha.sideman@cygnusb2b.com with the subject line: “New Year” with any comments or just leave your comments below. We actually DO love to hear from you.

On a side note, I want to congratulate Pete Souza for being selected by President-Elect Obama as the new Chief White House Photographer. Obviously a job of a lifetime. To check out a story we did on him in late 2008 and some of his work visit http://www.imaginginfo.com/web/online/Online-Exclusives/emThe-Rise-of-Barack-Obamaem-in-Pictures/49$4504.

Here’s to a great 2009 full of photography bliss! best, Alysha