In the beginning it took hours to obtain the first fixed image but now in only minutes you can walk out of any photo lab with your pictures.
Cameras and photography seem to go hand in hand. After all, without a camera you cannot have a photograph and without a photograph, a camera would have no purpose. This is true when referring to modern day cameras, the earlier cameras were not created to take photographs but were tools that used reflection to produce an image.
Today it seems as if everything has gone digital; cameras now have the capability of capturing images electronically instead of on film.
Digital cameras are reshaping the photographic industry with its hybrid of traditional function combined with new technologies.
According to renowned media photographer Donald Knowles today’s digital cameras are superior to film cameras in both the amateur and professional lines.
” Film depended on the amount and colour that traveled to the unexposed piece of film. The next step is a chemical process that essentially washes away the part of the film that was not exposed to light resulting in a negative being made. This negative then is placed under an enlarger or scanner to produce an image. The digital light travels to tiny light receptors , the camera’s computer analyses light intensity and colour, then stores this information on a digital storage media e.g. compact flash card memory stick the resulting image is ready to print or e-mail. The quality of your digital image also depends on the megapixel size of your camera , for example a 4 megapixel camera yields better quality then a 1 megapixel camera. Another factor is the file format a digital picture is captured on, JPG, TIFF of Raw.”
The basic structure of all cameras consist of five parts: box, film, light-control, lens and viewing system. The camera continues to evolve as new technologies are being developed
Much like the advent of photography, the development of new digital technologies has affected the capabilities and functions of the camera.
With each new era, the camera continues to evolve. The camera is a tool that has been around for centuries and based on the past, it will probably continue to be around for many years to come.
So what makes a good photo.
Knowles said,” You don’t necessarily have to be beautiful or the scene does not have to be breathtaking it’s all in how you see the image and how it appears.”
Anybody can take a decent looking photo but to be on par with the professionals the necessary components are needed.”
By Denise Major, The Nassau Guardian
