In any discipline, you will have what many think of as “the purists”. Purists are those who revere the way things have always been done and view new innovations in the field as upstarts and obviously of poorer quality than the tried and true methods. This is nowhere more true than photography. For decades the film and chemical processing method has undergone continual refinement to achieve higher and higher levels of sophistication and to find higher levels of quality. Small wonder that when the digital revolution came along, “the purists” were, to say the least, a bit snobby about the idea of professional photography moving in this direction.
There are several compelling arguments 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 arguments. 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.
Digital photography has brought about many changes in both time, efforts and costs. The proofs of a photo shoot are available practically instantly. Should the photographer or customer not be fully satisfied with a picture, adjustments are made and re shot immediately involving a lower price and saving a huge amount of time. The customer gets the picture they were seeking as the photographer gets the shot needed the first time in the studio.
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.
As computers and internet technologies are advancing, digital photography has become part of this wave. Personal computers have become an ingrained part of our lives and with the combination of the internet superhighway, photographs have become common communication between people. With only a click of a button, photos can be delivered by e-mail, saved to a DVD or CD, or displayed in an online gallery. Customers then have a basis for ordering additional photos for the same cost and have more immediate delivery in a much more convenient way to view and store them.
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.
In virtually every way, digital photography, delivery and editing is superior to the way “the purists” would have us hold on to. It makes our lives as photographers easier, faster and more profitable. But above all, this is something our customers want us to use. They get to enjoy their pictures so much faster, at a more reasonable cost and the pictures can be emailed to friends and posted on their family web sites which is fun for everyone. So despite our desire to be “purists”, every reason we need is there to convince us that digital photography is the way to go.
