The art of photography has come a long way since the first daguerreotype appeared in 1839. The first true line of commercially available digital cameras started entering the market in the mid-1990’s. Film photography began a swift decline during this period. Inexpensive and easy to use digital cameras took command of the photography marketplace. Everyone with a smartphone is now an amateur photographer. Indeed the world of digital photography is here to stay.
What exactly is digital photography you might ask? In laymen’s terms, it is an electronic version of film photography. In film photography, light is gathered through the lens onto a light-sensitive film surface that is later processed to produce photographs. Digital photography is essentially the same thing. Light is filtered onto the surface of an electronic light sensor that interprets the image and converts it into a pixelated digital format. Film is limited in the number of exposures before reloading the camera is required. Digitally one can continually take photos, and the only limitations are the size of the memory card in use.
There are so many brands, types, and styles of digital cameras available that it would be next to impossible to list them all. However, there are three types that come to mind. Smartphone digital cameras, compact digital cameras and Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) are what is commercially available.
Once upon a time it almost seems like the idea of a camera in a smartphone was just an afterthought. Not anymore. This method of taking photos is now as common as watching TV. Anyone and everyone can now be an amateur photographer. Candid photos taken on the fly can be immediately uploaded to the Internet and shared with friends and family. Photos that grab attention have the potential to be seen by millions.
Smartphone digital cameras used to be as low as one megapixel. Most now seem to average around 8 to 12 megapixels. One smartphone released last year can produce a whopping 41-megapixel photograph. Depending on your smartphone, there are many different methods of saving your photos and editing them. If you use a smartphone to take your photos to keep in mind that storage on the phone can be very limited.
Today’s compact digital cameras are slightly larger than most smartphones and perform only one function, photography. Compact digital cameras have different functions available such as built-in flash and telephoto lenses. This camera uses an industry standard SD memory card. The memory on these cards now reaches up to 64 GB of storage. A memory card of that size can be almost half the cost of the camera itself and is not needed for a camera of this type. Most people who use the compact digital camera are usually taking family and vacation photos.
The last class of camera is the DSLR. These cameras are very reminiscent of a high-end professional film SLR camera of the recent past. The concept of both cameras is the same except how the image is processed as mentioned earlier. These cameras use a variety of adjustable and detachable lenses. Some are for close up shots and range up to massive telephoto lenses that are used for distance and high-speed sports photography. As with the old film SLR’s, there is still a marketplace of complimentary products such as light diffusers, tripods, and strobe-flash units.
Although DSLR cameras are primarily used in professional photography, that doesn’t mean such a camera is beyond the scope of your use. Every DSLR uses an auto function that selects the aperture and shutter speed making photography relatively easy. As you learn how to use your DSLR, you can begin to use manual mode where you can set your own aperture and shutter speed to attain the desired effect.
The wonder of digital photography is here to stay. While there are a few purists out there who still use film, digital photography has replaced it. Digital photography gives both the amateur and the professional the ability to take nearly unlimited photos in which to choose. Photos that are not wanted or needed can be easily deleted. Sharing your photos with family and friends is an easy one or two mouse clicks on your computer. Sharing game photos from Subway Surfers is also a great way to share on the forum!