Photography: From Film to Digital
Photography is defined simply as taking photographs. In a bit more technical terms, photography is the capturing of light to create a two dimensional image on a medium such as film or digital media.
Photography can be beneficial both for financial gain or personal pleasure. Those who do photography as a hobby find that it can be very fulfilling, while those who do it for a living can find that the better their photography is the more financially rewarding it can be.
Over the years the technology behind photography has advanced quite a bit. While advances were made during the film era, they were slow. Now, in the digital era, rapid advances have made the digital camera very popular.
While the 35mm film SLR camera was an excellent photography device in the hands of a professional, the modern digital SLR cameras can provide nearly anyone with great photographs. “Once the 35mm film SLR camera was the camera to own but now, there are digital SLR cameras like the Canon Rebel Xti that give the photographer great results with less frustration than their film counterparts” says Minneapolis photographer Bob Dale.
Digital photography, black and white photography, and color photography have all been popular photography forms for over a decade.
Black-and-white photography is often referred to as monochrome photography. Black-and-white photography is not just the original photography style; it has remained an artistic photography style. Though color photography has been around for many decades, the special contrasts created by black-and-white photography continued to be used for their artistic appeal. “Today Black-and-white photography is associated with “fine art” photography, as in the style of Ansel Adams landscape photos or the George Hurrell style of Hollywood portraits” says professional digital photographer Bob Dale.
Monochrome photography can also be done in hues of a specific color, rather than in black-and-white form. For example, cyanotype monochrome photography makes use of blue-and-white color variations.
While mainstream color photography technology has only been around for several decades, color photography could be captured by scientists to some extent as early as the middle of the 19th century. Early color photography simply faded over short periods of time, but by 1861, James Clerk Maxwell managed to develop a permanent color photograph. These first color photographs were taken by three separate cameras capturing three separate colors.
More than 40 years later, in 1907, Autochrome color photography became possible for professional photographers. It was 1932 when Agfacolor film came out. Modern color film came out with the 1935 Kodachrome film. Another big moment in color photography was the introduction of ‘instant’ color film by Polaroid in 1963.
Digital photography uses digital technology to capture and create images. Unlike film photography, digital photography does not use photographic film for creating images. Images are instead stored in electronic media, such as a memory card in the camera.
Digital photos can be displayed, stored, manipulated and disseminated electronically. They can be printed without having to undergo chemical processing; photos can be printed directly from the camera or from the computer to a laser, inkjet or thermal print on photo or regular paper.
Wedding photographers and portrait photographers find digital SLR cameras to be particularly indispensable. Photographs can be quickly printed out as proofs for customers to look over and make quick decisions about which photographs they wish to purchase.
Digital SLRs become particularly handy for wedding photography in varying lighting conditions where the digital camera can make adjustments for the lighting without the need for flash. It is also handy to be able to quickly review photographs during the event to make sure the photographer has gotten good pictures of the wedding guests, wedding dress, and wedding cake while the opportunity for retakes still exists.
Owning a digital camera is now easier than ever. The price for an entry-level camera has dropped significantly over the past few years, and this can be attributed to increased competition among digital camera manufacturers. There are small digital cameras that cost under $100, and these are great for the casual photographer who just wants to take pictures of friends and family.
As you become more experienced in digital photography, you may want to bring your hobby to the next level with a more advanced digital camera. You may even want to make a living off digital photography.
About the Author:
Find most about digital photography and the digital camera from expert digital photographer Bob Dale. Visit the photography website at http://photo.dalestudios.com