Google Fosters Cutting Edge Photographers With New Drive

Today Google launched ‘Google Drive’. A slightly new way for individuals to save their files and access them using a variety of smart devices, including iphones, ipads, and any other idevice a user could possibly imagine. I suppose no one at Google bothered to Google what the iCloud is before launching this news. Nevermind.

In addition to, and more importantly, Google has also coincided this launch by opening the exhibition of winners from their Photography Prize, now on at Saatchi Gallery along side Out Of Focus: Photography. If the tool is as successful as Google is marketing it to be, this will be an important piece of kit for photographers the world over. Almost as important as their Macbook Pro now hosting the iCloud on any iOS 5 or higher.

All in all, the exhibition looks promising and is a successful way for Google to promote their other upcoming projects and technological advancements for the arts community. The exhibition was judged by Susan Bright who has written both Art Photography Now in addition to Autofocus, as well as Nigel Hurst CEO of Saatchi Gallery in London. Unfortunately, the exhibition was only open to students and they were asked to choose to submit one image to a rather unimaginative set of categories such as “Me”, “Travel” or “Sport”.

In all fairness to Google and it’s innovations, this tool could have potential benefits to artists if it lives up to be everything Google suggests it will. It allows users to work on documents together. Which could be useful for collaborating on articles. It also allows a myriad of windows such as Adobe or Photoshop to be opened even if the user does not have the supportive software. Most significantly, it remains a good space for artists to store photo files, or other documents of importance without fear of late night coffee spills or the ever looming anxiety of the rainbow spiral of death. That is the greatest benefit of this new upgrade. Hopefully this is just the beginning of successful tools and creative exhibitions Google supports. A powerful organization such as Google has a great deal of potential to foster cutting edge and creative projects within the arts.

A Swedish student has been named as the winner of the Google Photography Prize. Viktor Johansson, 24, was given the accolade for a series of photographs documenting Christoffer Eskilsson, Sweden’s top male 10m diver.

Words By: Portia Pettersen Photograph by: Viktor Johansson

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