Microsoft has a very interesting research group — if you are interested in future of photos and videos, you may find what this group is doing really interesting. Here is the mission statement:
The mission of the Interactive Visual Media Group is to develop state-of-the-art algorithms for digital photography and video with the goal of providing innovative experiences and tools for such media. Our target audience includes both consumers and visual media professionals.
Our group’s mission is to develop fundamental new technology to analyze, retrieve, and manipulate media in order to create compelling new content or organize existing content. This will expand the way in which people interact with their personal media, using novel photo and video creation and integration tools, as well as engaging viewing/playback experiences. At the same time, we want to impact Microsoft’s current and future offerings in these areas.