No matter the craft, you will have that group of people who hold dear what they see as the fundamental rules and methods that have been in place since the beginning. The ‘Purists’ shun new technologies as being inferrior and nothing more than a fad that should be replaced with traditional ways. These ideas have become quite the debate in the field of photography. Certainly there have been a number of advances in cameras and film over the years and the improvements in darkroom processing have been overwhelming, but the arrival of digital photograpy onto the scene has created a firestorm of arguement over what is and is not the essense of a photograph. In photography, the purists believe in presenting a slice of life that exists through the photograph itself, while digital photography manipulates the photo into an idea prefabricated in the mind. Still in the future of photography, digital technologies are paving the way to endless potentials.
There are several compelling arguements for incorporating the digital revolution into traditional photography. Most of the professional level studios in both the portrait and film worlds have gone the digital route in favor of these arguements. The amount of equipment needed in digital photography is minimal in comparison to the older methods, creating less complication. And in a world where the average cell phone has made possible a digital camera in every pocket, digital is simplistic enough that anyone can create a photograph. Both the professional photographer and the common person can use digital technologies to capture images.
Probably the biggest leap forward in the use of digital photography is that you can do re-shoots quickly, easily and for virtually no cost. If you conduct a portrait session with a customer, you can have the “stills” of the session available almost as soon as the session is done. If a shot was good but not perfect, you can correct it and re-shoot immediately saving huge amounts of time and improving the chances you will get the portfolio you want and that the customer wants on the first session.
Normally if it seems too good to be true it is, however digital photography is an exception in that quality is not compromised for convenience. In most instances the outcome of the photograph is at least as good and usually exceeds the quality of previous technologies. Factoring in the more simplistic methods and lower costs, digital photography can provide a favorable alternative to the traditional film based pictures. More and more customers seeking professional photography services and even the recreational photographer would agree.
Not only in photograpy, the digital revolution has brought about radical changes in our home computers. Computers combined with the communication power of the internet, have brought pictures and photography into daily life. We can now send birthday portriats to grandma via e-mail or save 50th anniversary pictures for years to come by burning them to CD or DVD. The customer has a myrid of options in shots for practically no difference in cost and can deliver them to friend and relatives in a way that is easy to view and store.
Digital technologies have also made possible for the amateur to edit and enhance their photos through readily available computer software programs. Digital editing isn’t cheating, it’s the modern darkroom by which the message the photographer wanted to pass along to the viewer is guaranteed. Programs such as Photoshop can modify coloring, easily crop photos, add amazing effects, and adjust brightness just to name a few. But most importantly , it can correct common mistakes so that what might have been a ‘bad picture’ can be edited into an acceptable photo and the time involved is not lost.
From the snap of the shutter to editing and delivery, digital photography has become a mainstream medium in photography. Although the ‘purist’ might argue, the benefits of digital technologies are undeniable. Customers are accepting of this method in the professional realm as they are familiar with digital in their own personal cameras. They get the enjoyment of their photos quicker, and at a much more reasonable cost. They have the instant gratification of being able to forward pictures to family through the internet with a simple click. Customer satisfaction combined with the fact that digital is easier, faster and much more profitable for the photographer provides a strong platform for digital photography to be here to stay.
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