The ease and affordablity of taking photographs have improved tremendously over last the 30 years I have been involved as a hobbyist. Technology has given us instant turnaround, just like polariod did years ago.....sharper zoom lenses (the old primes are still a force to be reckoned with).
However, the quality of the photos have not improved.
Just imagine that photograph evolves from "realism art era"...the need to paint and duplicate an image with ease and faster turnaround time (faster the better). It is with this perimeter that they developed photography....from print to digital.
This objective have more or less been met in a period of about 200 years.
If we look back in time and ask ourselves, whether the quality of the images today is better at self expression than the images during the pre-photography era......IMHO, this objective has not been met.
Compared to the artist of the pre-photo era, our effort is shallow....not many of us are putting our heart and sole in creating the images......because we want to short cut this process.
Today there is also another group of accomplished photographers, like Ted Orland, etc who create photo galleries using a Holga (anti-technology). They are trying to prove that it is not the technology but the man behind the camera that matters.
Sorry, I may offend a lot of readers here, what is express is my personal opinion only.