The Introduction of Digital Photography

The introduction of digital photography changed the world of photography completely.

The word photography comes from a Latin word meaning to draw with light. Civilizations as early as Ancient Greece projected images of light onto objects through tiny holes--kind of like a pinhole camera. Starting in the 16th century artists used these devices to trace objects for paintings.

The first photograph was taken in 1822 by a French inventor named, Joseph Nicephore Niepce. The photograph was taken on a polished piece of pewter. Early cameras were cumbersome and difficult to use. Exposure times were difficult to determine and sometimes the chemical processes would fail.

Photographs were rare and only taken for special occasions. They were very serious and well planned events. You've seen those old photographs of a group of people wearing their best clothes and gathered around each other looking very seriously into the camera. Kind like this...

Galt Museum

As cameras got smaller and easier for the average person to use photography became increasingly popular. At the time camera companies like Polariod developed technologies to allow people to see the images they took right away.

As you may have expected NASA had a lot to do with the development of digital photography. In the 1960's when they started sending spy satellites into space they needed a way to transmit the images from the satellites to NASA headquarters. Bell Laboratories introduced the charge-coupled-device to the world in 1969. This same technology that was used to spy on our enemies from space and used to make video tapes was also the technology that brought about the birth of the digital camera.

The introduction of digital photography to the public made photography into an instantly gratifying experience. You can take a picture and see the results right away. There's no trip to the local film processing place and waiting until later that day or even days later to pick up your envelope of pictures and flip through them.

Film processing would no longer be needed. The introduction of digital photography made the technical aspect of processing pictures accessible to the average person. When you take a picture you can see the results right away to determine whether or not you want to keep that picture. You also have immediate access to the photographs. With just a little computer knowledge you can edit and manipulate photographs. You can easily email them to friends and family and make photos into slide shows.

Generally, digital photography has changed the relationship the public has with photography. Photographs seem less permanent. They can easily be copied, shared and spread. Taking a picture is no longer an event. It's done by millions and millions of people daily in normal and extraordinary circumstances.

I think the growth of photography caused by digital photography is good. I enjoy seeing unexpected images. I enjoy being able to see the work of talented photographers online. Looking through people's Flickr pages helps inspire me. I hope that you continue to be inspired through photography. Keep taking pictures.

Related Articles

The History of Photography--Find out more about the invention of digital photography and the first digital cameras on the market.

Understanding Digital Photography--Discover the first steps you need to start taking great pictures today.

Digital vs Film Photography--Let's look at the pros and cons of using each of these types of photography.