There was a point in time not too long ago when some photography experts expressed the opinion that digital photography will never replace film photography. That was when the first few digital cameras came into the market. Although times have changed, and there is no longer any doubt that digital photography has practically replaced film, still the benchmark remains that of the quality of film as a medium.
In so many ways, digital camera manufacturers are still trying to re-create film with the latest digital camera scanning technology and software. Even as camera manufacturers are pushing for better and more advanced high-end cameras, they are also putting out more affordable point-and-shoot cameras for ordinary consumers. On top of that, cell phone, tablet and PDA makers are also incorporating digital cameras into their products.
What this comes down to is a proliferation of cameras in all shapes and sizes. All sorts of people are using digital cameras and are taking a lot more pictures than ever before. The funny thing about this is that even with all of the cameras in use, not everyone is interested in taking great pictures. For some, there is even the mistaken notion that all you need to take great pictures is an expensive digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera.
Truth is that learning how to take photographs is not that hard. As a skill, it takes proper instruction and lots of practice. Getting practice is a lot easier with digital photograph due to the immediacy of being able to view the resulting pictures. Additionally, it is a lot cheaper than film photography.
With regards learning photography theory, online instruction has shown to be at par with classroom or workshop instruction. One advantage is that there is are no time constraints. This allows the student to put more time and effort to come up with better pictures. Distance learning also gives the student the opportunity to take pictures from different diverse locations.
As mentioned, a lot of digital camera owners and photographers do not take the time to study the basics of photography. This leads to ordinary pictures where an experienced and knowledgeable photographer could probably get much better pictures. Besides learning how to properly take pictures, other digital photography topics include learning about the camera, the technology behind the digital photography, scanning, picture file formats, RAW file manipulation, special effects and introduction on computer programs for image manipulation.
These additional topics are what makes digital photography a lot different from film photography. Picture manipulation can be used to optimize the picture, as well as to create special effects. Picture clean up is also an important topic. This can range from basic techniques like fine tuning the color, sharpness, skin tone, cropping and resizing. Advanced topics include photo manipulation, editing, and special effects.
To say that there is a world of difference between traditional film and digital photography is an understatement. There are a lot of things to learn about the art of photography and the science behind it. Being better informed and then capturing better pictures leads to better enjoyment of taking pictures. There is a criticism about photographers not being able to enjoy the moment because they spend the time waiting for and trying to capture the moment. However, knowing how to take good pictures, you can spend less time behind the camera and more time in front and immerse in the moment.
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