What is digital photography.?

digital photography different of film photography, based on same principles of light. there no negative image formed, replica of see through lens. each digital camera has called ccd or cmos sensor in place of negative, , mega-pixel war fought. each individual pixel (up 25 million @ time of writing this) records amount of light, including full colour spectrum, hits , converts whole thing image.

make simpler me!!!

ok. imagine had millions of square lego blocks covering 256 different colours , shades of spectrum. if able make these picture, using say, football pitch template, basic principle. now, if standing on pitch, wouldn’t photograph @ all, lots of squares, if fly on pitch @ great height, start good.

reason explaining when use photo-editing tools such adobe photoshop or elements, doing going football pitch, re-arranging colours, shades , tones of each block, , floating on pitch again check image! don’t alter each pixel individually, editing program takes care of donkey work, although serious work, have, on occasion, altered individual pixels!!!

if understand this, should make transition digital little easier. in order alter photograph in past, needed acquire serious darkroom skills, , time-consuming , messy, believe me!

how many pixels need?

quite important understand isn’t amount of pixels on sensor (e.g. 4mp or 8mp), sensor size itself, creates bigger , better enlargement. example, 8 mega pixel cmos sensor on ageing still fantastic canon eos 20d (digital slr circa 2004) produce better results 8 mega pixel ccd sensor on smaller compact digital camera or 12 megapixel camera phone.

why? hear ask! because bigger. let me try explain…

imagine sensor net , each pixel square in net , argument sake, comparing 2 24 square nets! i.e. each net has 24 squares, 4 high 6 long , made of same material. have imagine this…

1 net 6 inches long, , other 12 inches long. how big can stretch 6 inch net before becomes tense? how big can stretch 12 inch net? lot bigger right?

(really!) basic way of explaining digital sensors.

when choosing digital camera yourself, remember digital compacts have smallest sensors, semi-professional digital slr’s substantially bigger, , pro digital slr’s have same size sensors 35mm film. see diagram below.

utmost in quality, medium format digital cameras have largest sensors of (up 80 megapixels @ time of writing), , quality of prints these has surpassed film quality in many people’s opinion. however, unless have budget in excess of £20,000+, may have start little smaller!!!

what advantages there digital photography on film. , how digital photography has developed on past 5 or 6 years.

Arts & Humanities Visual Arts Photography Next