"How has digital technology impacted photography?"

          Digital technology has taken photography into a realm of infinite possibilities and revolutionized the trade monumentally. The significance of such a drastic transformation within the photography industry has therefore resulted in changes both for the better and worse. Thus, in order to answer this question the positive and negative impacts that digital technology has had upon photography shall be discussed further.

          To begin with, digital technology has arguably had an extremely positive impact upon photography. The impact has proven fundamental, due to a vast increase in photographic performance. For instance, the quality of cameras within contemporary society is that of a much highly quality than it was previously. A prime example of the major leap in product is the current ‘Canon/Nikon SLRS’, in which differentiates from the classic ‘box camera’ which was commonly used in the early nineteenth century.

          Furthermore, due to the high increase in the quality of camera, the process of editing and manipulating images is therefore much easier and more efficient, than it was beforehand. Previously, the editing process was conducted in the ‘dark room’, whereby a photogram took approximately fifteen minutes to be produced. However, in contrast the editing process in the twenty first century has the capability of printing photographic copies within as little as three minutes. The ability of editing is portrayed but the establishment of Photoshop, which is essentially a form of software which aids in creating the ‘perfect picture’.

          Another reason as to why digital technology has had a positive impact upon photography is that digital images can now be both transferred and stored onto a computer system. The fact that contemporary cameras can be easily connected to a computer conveys how numerous images can be kept and related back to at any given time. In addition to this, the increase in technology ensures that film pictures can now be scanned onto a computer via a scanning device.

          However, it can also be argued that digital technology has had a negative impact upon photography. Firstly, a common concern that is raised so often within the photography industry is that in hindsight, technology reduces the level of skill and ability to produce final images that of which are of the highest standard. A classic example is the development of Photoshop, which as mentioned above, is easily accessible and can be installed by anyone. Thus, individuals with little knowledge of the trade have the potential to make money from their products. This is deemed as a negative impact, as the skill of photography is often undermined, where in actual fact the profession of photography is an art form where a high level of understanding and knowledge is sufficient to producing great final images, and not merely satisfactory.  

          Despite the increase in the performance and efficiency of editing, technology has its flaws when it comes for editing. For example, a printing device which is connected to a computer system can at times produces final images which have a poor quality. Moreover, the update of technology also means that various social networking websites such as ‘Facebook’ and ‘Flickr’, enables the uploading of pictures which is accessible to other network users.

          In conclusion, digital technology has had a significant impact upon photography. The rise in technology has essentially created some fundamental changes to contemporary photography, of which have been both positive and negative. As displayed, technology has obviously created a higher quality and more efficient level of final images, however this impact has also created a notion that photography as a profession is more attainable. In saying this, I believe that although the advances in technology has made the art of photography much easier, it still requires a tremendous amount of skill, knowledge and visual awareness in order to excel at the profession; therefore it is this which separates the best from the mediocre.

Here is a classic example of the modern contemporary art photography that has taken the profession by storm. Sam taylor's unique and interesting way of photographing is simply stunning, the newly found art of modernism.



David Lachapelle is another wonder of contempory art photography. His amazing way of taking pictures continues to impress and contain the 'wow' factor.


His bright images are incredibly impressive with his wonderful ideas that create a picture near to perfection.

The Process Of Line Drawing For My Photograph

First process - This is the image i used for my line drawing process as it has a lot of colour to it, which i thought would create an effective final picture.

Second process - In order to create this line drawing I..

1.Created two layers

2.Clicked onto the colour dodge tool

3.Clicked 'APPLE I'

4.Toned down the levels until i was satisfied with a correct line drawing

5.I then clicked onto hue/saturation and changed it to the black and white effect which evidentially makes it look like a realistic drawing.

Third process - I then coloured in the picture which enabled me to prepare for my final image

Fourth process - I uploaded both pictures to photoshop and combined the two together and fitted them correctly into the right places which created my final image.

Research - How digital technology impacts photography

Digital photography has had an incredible impact on our personal lives. Capturing, sharing, and protecting our memories has never been easier. But the beauty of digital photos doesn't end with taking great pictures of your family and friends. Digital technology has done more than just improve our ability to share and store pictures -it's had a massive impact on how many modern industries operate.

Here are just a few of the industries revolutionized by digital photography:

Medicine

The field of medicine has benefited greatly from the development of digital imagery. Thanks to the ease of transferring digital images, patient data can now be stored with relevant photographs and sent to any hospital in the world. No film means instant results for things such as X-rays or reference photographs, and photos can now be stored on a hard drive instead of taking up valuable space in a storage room. So many types of medical procedures (like endoscopic surgeries) would not be possible if it weren't for digital technology.

The World of the Internet

Over the last ten years, the Internet has experienced a social revolution. The internet was once considered a hangout for nerds but now has become one of the most important communication tools in the world. A big part of this commuication is the ability to share, upload and download images. Facebook alone has over 10 billion photographs and counting, none of which would be present if not for digital cameras. Whether it’s sharing images of a wedding (so others can display them in picture frames) or cell-phone photos of a crisis, digital has changed the way in which people share their stories on the web.

Outer Space

Space exploration is thought to be one of humanity's most significant achievements. New technology has let scientists see things in space that had never been viewed before like the digital cameras mounted on the Mars Exploration Rovers that have helped us learn more about the Planet Mars. Without the ability to process images as data and transmit them across space, our view of outer space would still be very limited.

The Field of Sports

Digital photography has completely changed how we capture sportings events and in order to fully appreciate it's impact it requires a more thorough look. Since digital photography is not limited by film, there is really no cost difference between taking a thousand photographs or taking one. Now sports journalists can take thousands of images at an event and can increase their chances of getting the "one in a million" shot without risking the high cost of taking hundreds of shots using film.

How We Learn

And with education, digital photography has helped make learning more accessible, more interactive and perhaps even more rewarding. The low cost of digital makes it a great choice for student projects, and the abundance of digital photos and editing tools have provided countless students with resources for presentations and research. This causes pictures to become a bigger part of people's lives and allows more people to have and display them wherever they want whether in small picture frames or in their wallets. Digital video, which relies on many of the same technologies as digital photos, has improved our ability to take courses from home and has helped to erase national borders by allowing students to interact with people across the globe in real-time.

It can be easy to take digital photography for granted, especially in our daily lives. However, when you take a look at some of the things that digital cameras have made possible, it is hard to ignore the impact that they have had on our quality of life. From advanced medical procedures to a clearer view of the stars, digital has opened many doors that without it would have remained closed – possibly forever.

Photoshop Tutorials - Photo To Line Drawing