How Digital Processes Change Photography

How Digital Processes Change Photography

New technology is an ever present, always advancing force in today’s world. For this reason it is no surprise that in the last decade we have begin to see the rise of digital imaging in our lives. Put simply, digital imaging is the process of changing a visual imaging into a format that a computer can understand and interpret. Whether or not the image is captured by a digital device, such as a digital camera or camcorder, or it is transformed into a digital file after its development, such as by scanning, digital processes are changing the face of photography and the way we interpret it. However, as with any new change or development, digital imaging comes with its own set of advantages, and its own set of vices.

Before the era of digital imaging the process of creating a photographic image had gone on for nearly a century with relatively little advancement. Besides from improvements in film quality and development every few decades, photography was, for the most part, becoming a stable form of art. Not only could people go and get professional photographs taken, but the technology was easy enough to understand that with Kodak’s introduction of a consumer friendly camera in 1888 people could begin producing their own photographs as well. (US News, p49.) Soon followed the 35mm camera, then color film and so- on and so-forth but the primary idea never changed. However, just prior to the 1980’s the world began to see the advancement of digital imaging with the introduction of computer programs that could edit an image after it had been scanned into digital format. This was a dawning of a new era in photography, even though the world would not see the birth of the digital cam...

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... to the cover of a national press. As fore-mentioned, this brave new world of digital imaging was showing its good and bad side.

As time marches on so does the flow of new technology. Even though the old form of analog photography may never become obsolete it is abundantly clear that digital imaging is here to stay.

WORKS CITED

1) Curtin, Dennis P. Choosing and Using a Digital Camera. New York: Curtin. 2001

2) Mills, Lara. “Fast and flexible: digital photography may revolutionize the

creative landscape, although not for everyone.” Marketing Magazine 101 (1996):

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3) “Photography’s Storied History.” US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 131 (2001) : 48-9

4) Webb, Warren. “A Digital Picture is Worth…” EDN 45 (2000) 71-8

5) Chinnock, Chris “Low-end Digital Cameras still Poised for Rapid Growth.”

Electronic Design 47 (1999) 56