Go digital

Kodak moments can never be re-created. The first steps of your child or the first dance recital are not mere events but memories that motivate you lifelong. Recording these images has been made easier through the efforts of many wise men and women. Yet, people prefer doing things the good-old-fashioned way. The reasons are many. Some prefer the old way due to its everlasting charm, while some choose to do so as they are technophobic. No matter how expensive the task may be, photographers continue “flirting with the film” due to a variety of reasons. The question that lies before is- should technophobia prevent one from venturing into a new style of image recording? After all, change is the key to creativity.

The invention of film had revolutionized the world of image recording. Analog photography permitted people to preserve images for a much longer period of time as opposed to those photographs that were created on photographic plates. Some of the finest pictures of all time have been captured by means of a film camera. However, this form of preservation was not economical. Prints of these photographs would often cost photographers a large sum of money. Indeed, the passion of many had become a gamble for life; for one couldn’t preview the outcomes.

                It was in the year 1991 that the term digital photography had come into existence. Films were replaced with image sensors and thus the camera had become every person’s best friend. Digital photography allowed one to have a preview of the frames that were captured and had also provided sufficient scope for effective and efficient image editing. The question that lies before us is, which form of photography is preferred and why.

As per a survey conducted by more focus, 82% of the photographers prefer using digital cameras as opposed to analog cameras.

                It is interesting to note that in spite of the developments in technology, a photograph taken by means of a 35mm analog camera consists of around 20 million ‘quality’ pixels unlike the digital image.          Hand held or point and shoot digital cameras allow photographers to capture images consisting of a as few as four million quality pixels.

                 While the world continues to strive towards achieving stability in the economy, companies such as Polaroid seem to have made significant efforts to bring to light the good old instant image film cameras in the year 2009. It is indeed fascinating to see how old habits die hard! Then again isn’t it wiser to use a cost effective instrument to record those precious moments of life?

A survey was conducted among a group of photographers so as analyse their opinions on the various technologies in the field of photography.

                90%of them believe that digital photography has enabled one to explore more. In other words it not only allows one to earn more, but learn more as well! True, digital cameras are more user friendly than film cameras. However, there has been a significant rise in the number of careless usages of digital images. The question of image quality is indeed debatable. While many strongly feel that film cameras produce better images than those produced by DSLRs, the others say that the quality of these images is satisfactory except in the cases of precise scientific experiments. Some claim that photographs captured by a film camera are richer in colour and depth as opposed to digital cameras.

Let us study the technical aspects of analog and digital photography.

                To begin with, Analog photography is not only the art of capturing an image but also the science of reproducing an image in its true form by means of various chemical permutations. A photographer thus has to be aware of the various forms of light, its direction and properties. Film cameras produce images which consist of 20 million “quality” mega pixels unlike the digital camera which produces images of less than 4 million “quality” mega pixels. Films allow one to record and reproduce images a broader colour range thereby enabling you to record highlights effectively. Storage is never an issue for it is easier to preserve hard copies of documents as opposed to soft copies! A negative or a positive does not become unreadable due to a virus attack. Thus, it is more effective for the purpose of preservation.

                However, feasibility is always a matter of concern for analog photographers. The costs incurred are not always proportionate  to the work done. Today, chemicals for the development of films are indeed scarce. This method of photography is time consuming as well. Thus, it has become ineffective and inefficient means of preserving moments.

                Digital photography seems to be booming at a rapid pace. This technique has led to a significant rise in the number of photographers. It was more user-friendly and cost effective. Digital photography allows you to have a preview of our images before processing. It enables one to make back-ups of the various documents in the form of CDs, DVDs etc. Unlike those of a film camera, the colours of the images do not fade over the years. Thereby letting you relive the moments. In fact, processing the image is much faster than in the case of analog cameras. One is also relieved of the burden of carrying films with varied ASA values so as to capture an acceptable picture due to the ISO variation facility in the camera menu.

                Yet, every coin has two sides. Digitization of images also leads to a variety other technical problems. Such as corrupted disks, memory cards etc. The initial costs for digital photography are indeed high. Digital cameras are also more vulnerable to damage due to its computerized mechanisms. The quality of an image, in terms of the number of bits of a single colour pixel, is less as compared to that of a film camera. For instance, modern digital cameras gather 10 to 12 bits of a single colour pixel which is further reduced when the images are converted into JPEG images. The credibility of such images is often debated as these photographs are easier to modify unlike those of the film camera. Digital photography has also been the primary reason behind the rise in the number of ‘careless’ photographers. It is thus, no longer an art but a commercial gimmick.

The romance of film seems to be withering away. But it is important to realize the necessity to keep pace with technology. Photography has been digitized so as to simplify the task of preservation and recoding by making it economical, effective and efficient. In doing so one must remember to do the following:

a)      Purchase equipment according to your need and not desires; it is not worth investing in a fortune that becomes outdated or which you may never use.

b)      Create back-ups of your photographs immediately in the form of DVDs, CDS, etc. This will permit you to re-install or format your memory cards.

c)       Do not copy pictures by means of a USB on to a system infected with viruses. This could affect the programming of your camera.

d)      Avoid shooting during the monsoon or near a source of water without proper precautions. Electronic gadgets are more prone to damage than analog cameras.

e)      Go through the user manual before experimenting with your cameras in the most unexpected ways.

f)       Love you camera like a child. Any manhandling will not only cost you in monetary terms but also in terms of you a lot of physical stress as well!

The initial costs are a mere investment for a piece of wonder. It is indeed more feasible and easier to edit images by means of computer based software than print those undesirable images of reality. Digital photography can be as charming and wonderful as analog photography; for in the end it isn’t the photograph but the photographer who creates the moment. After all, a picture does speak a thousand words.