Digital Photography (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what digital photography is and what it is for. Also, its history, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

What is digital photography?

Digital photography is the process of capturing still images through a camera using an electronic sensor composed of photosensitive units. It is a procedure very similar to traditional photography, but instead of using film and developing chemicals, it captures light electronically.

Digital images are converted into electrical signals and stored in an electronic memory following the same communication protocols of the digital memories of computers. Various format and compression mechanisms are applied to photographic taking.

Digital photography, like traditional photography, can be used to record and document historical and personal events as well as for artistic exploration. Digitization also offers the possibility of intervening or modifying the image electronically, once it has been taken and stored.

The invention of digital photography was a technological revolution that forever changed the photography industry and transformed the visual arts.

History of digital photography

The first digital camera in history was developed by the engineer of the Kodak photography company. Steve Sasson, in 1975. It was the size of a toaster and had a very poor resolution (0.01 megapixels), in addition to the digital image storage process being extremely slow: it took 23 seconds to save a blank photograph and black on a cassette tape, and at the same time recover it.

However, these first attempts opened an enormous field of research, which led to today's digital cameras with high resolution, shooting speed and saving capacity, in addition to other possibilities such as digital zoom (instead of optical) and the digitization of the reflex system, which allows the person taking the photo to observe exactly what is going on in an optical viewfinder. to take the camera.

Features of digital photography

Some characteristics of digital photography are:

Capture the image without film. Instead of photosensitive film, digital photography uses an electronic sensor to capture light. The light is converted into the electrical signals that make up the digital image.
Allows immediate and precise visualization. Digital photos can be previewed on the camera screen immediately after being captured, allowing you to instantly review aspects such as composition and shooting parameters and correct them in subsequent shots.
Store electronically. Digital images are saved in digital formats that can be JPEG, RAW or TIFF, and on memory cards or internal storage of cameras and devices. This allows thousands of photos to be stored without the need for photosensitive film.
Expand creative possibilities. Digital photography allows you to easily edit, adjust, correct and crop images using photo editing software. Editing software and technologies offer more and more tools and expand creative possibilities for professional and amateur photographers.
Expands the capabilities of traditional photography. In addition to all the possibilities of traditional photography, digital photography incorporated digital zoom and other actions that are only possible with digital cameras, such as recording videos, making time-lapses (sequences of images captured from time to time to be played back quickly) and create panoramas in increasingly higher resolutions. Additionally, digital photos can be shared instantly over the Internet.

What is digital photography for?

After the invention of photography and all its possibilities in the 19th century, digitalization was the next step of the photographic industry in the context of accelerated computerization that began at the end of the 20th century.

The ability to transfer the images taken to a computer system without first going through developing and scanning processes (which took time and could damage or distort the photo) was a great advance in image management. Digital photography managed to speed up times and reduce costs by allowing the possibility of take consecutive shots and preview the photos without having to wait for development.

In addition, digital photography incorporated technical resources that significantly expanded creative possibilities: allows you to experiment with multiple shots, effects and composition forms. Furthermore, the ability to share images instantly has transformed forms of communication and has allowed artists to reach broader audiences.

Advantages of digital photography

The main advantages of digital photography are:

Immediacy. The ability to take photos and have them immediately (without having to go through a developing process) greatly facilitates processes and expands creative possibilities.
Cost reduction during the process. Eliminating photographic rolls and the entire developing process represents a great saving in material. In addition, devices such as tablets and smartphones incorporate increasingly powerful cameras, which allow quality images to be taken.
Greater storage. A digital card can store many more photos than a conventional roll of photos. In addition, you can modify the compression format of the images or delete defective ones to maximize storage capacity.
Technical advantages. The latest model digital cameras provide the photo taker with technical information in real time, about the RGB values of the image, its histogram, its ISO values and many other important data.

Disadvantages of digital photography

The main disadvantages of digital photography are:

High cost of cameras. Depending on the quality and features, professional cameras can be very expensive. Added to this are the costs of accessories, editing software and image storage.
digital noise. Due to the constant electrical flow inside digital cameras, images have a margin of “noise” or flaws (which is more noticeable when using low ISO values). That's why many photographers prefer the grain of a 35 mm film over that of a digital camera.
Limited resolution. Traditional 35mm film has the rough equivalent of a resolution of 87 megapixels, which is still very rare in today's digital cameras.
Technology dependence. Digital photographs are electronic files that can only be accessed through electronic devices. These devices also tend to become outdated over time, which jeopardizes the ability to archive and access images after a certain number of years.
Privacy issues. Digital photographs reveal metadata with information about the location, the date and time the photo was taken, the device used to capture it, and other data that can be used without the user's consent.

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References

BBC Master. (May 11, 2023). What is digital photography? BBC Master. https://www.bbcmaestro.com/
Grundberg, A. (sf). History of photography – into the 21st century: The digital age. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/