Two major issues became clear as we undertook the production of this book. First is that making images is the prime conscience act of digital photography and second is the speed of technological change that will impact our capture tools.
Most important is making digital photographs taking pictures. This encompasses the eye-mind combination working to define what will be seen in the final image. There must be an underlying desire on the part of the photographer to make images. This drives the process and the choice and use of tools.
It is important how you start the process. The primary activity of a photographer is recording the original image. This has been the role of the photographer since the beginning of photography. While computers can do many things, they cannot make photographs. Regardless the robustness of the software, it needs base images to work with and the photographer’s ability is first found in how they conceptualize, find, compose, and capture that image. If the photographer starts with a poorly captured image there will be little expectation of making a great image regardless of the sophistication of the computer or manipulation software. For the capture devices, software, computer, and printers are just tools. Tools in the hands of an artist can help make art but alone the tools cannot.
The second point is the speed of the technological change while putting this book together. This is the nature of the world of digital imaging. The abilities of cameras and digital imaging systems are changing rapidly and the rate of change is also accelerating.
This raises two problems for writing a book in this changing environment. First, any products that are shown will become older technology soon and it dates the book. Most books tend toward historical views since they put down with ink on paper what the author(s) know at the time of the writing. Second, this forces us to approach the technology in a more general manner because these will be the constants as the technology improves. We are trying to present basic technologies and concepts that relate to digital capture and not try to present a manual on how to use the most current specific camera or system.
There are many facets to the creation of digital images beyond its capture. While their use in imaging software and the opportunities that these provide, there are various texts on the latest software. The concept of the book is to explain the basic technology and ideas used in the acquisition of images used in today’s vast digital imaging world.
Each chapter has an overview, summary, and callouts for terminology. A brief overview begins each chapter and indicates the major points being discussed in the text. At the end of each chapter is a bulleted summary. Because the knowledge base for the materials in the body of the book may be new to some readers, as we progress through the book we have pulled out terms and ideas important to understanding basic concepts of digital capture. These ideas and terms will be part of a brief glossary at the end of each chapter with the total indexed glossary following the body of the text.
The images are as important as the text in this book. The images presented in the book are intended to both display ideas spoken about in the text and to show exciting visual concepts used in today’s digital imaging. We have tried to assemble photographs that do more than simply utilized the technology. It is our intent to show images that can inspire. The work shown in the book has been acquired from many photographers to give a wide view of the capabilities and applications of this technology. While some of the images will rely on manipulations of images common today, the book is about how images are captured and not how they are manipulated.
We hope this book will help you in your journey through digital image capture,
Glenn Rand
January 2005