ChApter 1. digitAl CAmerAs & imAges
14 For more on textbooks in digitAl photogrAphy, visit http://www.photoCourse.Com
Why Go Digital? ...1
Most of this book assumes you are already a digital photographer or have
decided to become one. If you aren’t fully converted and are wondering why
digital photography has almost entirely replaced film in less than a decade,
here are some of the reasons. It would be reasonable to assume that it’s be-
cause of image quality since digital images are now equal to, and often better
than film images. However, the real reason for the switch lies elsewhere, in
the fact that once captured, digital photographs are already in a format that
makes them incredibly easy to share and use. For example, you can insert
digital photographs into documents, print them at a kiosk, send them by e-
mail to friends, or post them on a Web site where anyone in the world can see
them. With most cameras you can immediately see your images on a small
LCD monitor on the back of the camera, or you can connect the camera to a
TV and show them as a slide show. Some cameras can even be connected to a
telescope or microscope to display dramatically enlarged images on a large-
screen TV. It’s this ability to instantly share photos with anyone, anywhere
that makes digital photography so attractive.
Here are a few more reasons why the change has been so dramatic:- Going digital saves you money in the long run since you don’t have to buy
rolls of film and pay for their development and printing. - It saves you time because you don’t have to make two trips to the store to
drop off and then pick up your pictures (although you can do this with a digi-
tal camera’s memory card). - Digital cameras instantly show you how your pictures look so you’ll no lon-
ger have those disappointments a day or two later when your film is devel-
oped. - You can view images before they are printed and if you don’t like what you
see, you can edit them to perfection or save money by not printing, or even
deleting them. - Digital photography (at least your part in it) doesn’t use the toxic chemicals
that often end up flowing down the drain and into our streams, rivers, and
lakes. - No more waiting to finish a roll of film before having it processed. (Or wast-
ing unexposed film when you can’t wait.) - Many digital cameras are able to capture not only still photographs, but also
sound and even video—they are as much multimedia recorders as they are
cameras. - You can use a photo-editing program to improve or alter digital images,
sometimes right in the camera. For example, you can crop them, remove
red-eye, change colors or contrast, and even add and delete elements. It’s like
having a darkroom with the lights on and without the chemicals. - You can post your images on a Web site so others can view and even print
them. - You can have your images printed on the pages of a bound book, like those
you see in bookstores. - You can create slide shows that can be burned to a DVD for playback on a
TV complete with background music or narration.
Kiosks in many stores
let you print photos on
the spot.
You can place images
on interactive maps
just by dragging and
dropping them.
You can have images
printed and bound into
photo books. Courtey of
PhotoWorks.com.