Digital Imaging

The ability to capture images in digital format has dramatically changed the ways photography enthusiasts enjoy their hobby.

What was once traditional photography, and especially film development has virtually become defunct. And amazingly this digital imaging revolution has really only taken place only within the last 2-3 years. Nowadays the site of someone taking snapshots with a traditional camera has become a very rare event.

And what lies behind the digital imaging revolution? Digital photography has placed the ability to take unlimited photographs at a negligible cost within the reach of most photographers. It simplicity and ease of use has brought many thousands more into the fold.

The ability to produce digital images at increasingly higher resolution levels has almost entirely closed the last gap between traditional and digital photography almost entirely.

The principal advantages in digital imaging are that the photographer, either amateur or professional, can download any amount of photographs on to his computer hard disc. From there they have a variety of options to take advantage of.

Firstly they can create and store any number of photographs in a digital photo album, recalling special events in a chronological order. This can be done without incurring the cost of developing photographs and storing them in a photo album.

Secondly if there is a particular photograph that captures a special moment in time, it can be picked out for digital development. Most of the traditional camera shops can offer this service. High resolution photo development printers are also becoming increasingly available at competitive prices. This option allows the digital photographers to print their own photographs at a low cost, without having to leave their own home.

Thirdly, using image manipulation and photo id software which is now readily available, the digital photographer can "touch up" his digital images to correct any effects or characters that they do not wish to display.

Finally, digital scanners are also capable of reproducing high resolution images of traditional photographs. Many family historians are scanning family photographs shot by a traditional camera to create digital archives, running back decades.

These are but a few of the breakthroughs that digital imaging has brought to the amateur and professional photographer over the last few years. Prices of digital cameras, both for stills and video, are being reduced all the time, as their ability to produce higher density images increases. The computer screen has become our photo gallery, and it is now possible to transmit digital photographs around the world in the space of a few seconds.

Where this revolution will lead us to in the future is a breathtaking thought. All photographers, either novice or veteran, can only enjoy the ride.