How photography impacted fine art, illustration, and graphic design

Photography changed the world of fine art, illustration, and graphic design in many ways. It made them all easier in the sense that the designer, artist, or illustrator could work from an almost perfectly scaled image at their convenience. This is a great advantage because that person would not have to produce the image strictly from memory, be at the actual scene, or work from a sketch or another illustrated piece.

When photography was developed, fine artists changed their perceptions on how they had to accomplish their art. They were no longer responsible for producing accurate depictions of structures, faces, animals, and anything else we see with our eyes. Artists began to branch out and start painting more in nonrepresentational ways. They were able to paint what they felt and think more about composition and color. This was because photographers could capture what we see, even though it was in black and white, exactly the way we see it.
Illustrators and graphic designers now had another medium to work with. Advancements in photography led to advancements in printing, which meant work was getting done more efficiently.