Saving Wild Cats

Digital vs
Analogue
Fig 28 & 29: Comparison of a view taken with a digital then
medium format camera
Photography has always been popular and, by the
early 1970’s, a camera could be found in almost
every household in the USA and Western Europe.
The function of photography in analogue and digital
processes has always been the same. The hierarchy of
these functions however has changed as we have moved
into the digital era. Analogue photography was a means
of creating memories first and foremost and images
were usually put together in photo albums or kept in
shoeboxes. More often than not a date, location and
the names of those in the photograph
would be listed. This served primarily
as a way of capturing and preserving
memories and images would later be
used to illustrate stories and to share or
reminisce with others.
In comparison to analogue
photography, digital images are rarely
transformed to hard copies and are
instead posted on social media, blogs
or sent to others electronically. Images
are now shared as experiences rather
than a physical, tangible object. Digital
photography, especially with the
introduction of smart phones, provides
a real-time experience whereby a person
can take, send, receive and even edit
images in a matter of seconds. Due to
the abundance and saturation of digital
images, they are less frequently put
together as a collection and although
these images serve as memory also,
the primary function has shifted to
that of communication. Nowadays,
images are so easily taken and shared
online via social media or messaging
services that it is use as a method
of conversing. Whereas in the past
photography was used as a means of
capturing important, special or unique
events, digital photography now allows
people to capture everyday incidences such as a pretty
sunset, delicious food or a new purchase. The younger
generation more often than not regards their images
as temporary reminders as apposed to a permanent
record of their memories. Reminiscent of postcards as
a snapshot of a person’s holiday, digital images are to be
discarded. Especially for those documenting every day
occurrences, they serve more as moment in time rather
than mementoes over time.
Digitisation of photography offers more control
over the final outcome of our images, as we are able
to process, edit and manipulate them with both ease
and speed. Other than the initial cost of a camera,
editing software and equipment, be it a laptop, smart
phone or desktop computer, digital photography is a
relatively inexpensive process. Compared with analogue
photography where there are only a certain number of
exposures per roll of film, digital photography offers an
almost endless capacity for image capture. Along with
the ability to review and delete images as you go, there
is no real need to be selective with regards to where,
when and how
often you release
the shutter. As
mentioned before
however, this
saturation of
images is what
leads to them
being overlooked,
left aside and
perhaps stored
in a computer
file never to be
looked at again.
With analogue
photography
more care and
consideration
is taken before
taking a picture
and there is
a sense of
anticipation
and pride over
what will be on
the film when
it is developed.
The downside
of analogue
photography
is that if an
image goes
wrong, it won’t be apparent until after its been taken
and developed. With digital cameras, reviewing the
image allows you to check the settings are correct and
depending on the subject, enables you to take as many
images as needed to get it right. This is a wonderful
development as with analogue photography, a wasted
film costs not only money but also time spent capturing
and developing the images. Of course, things can go
wrong with digital photography as well in the form of
erased or faulty memory cards and depleted batteries.
For professional photographers using digital SLRs,
the ability to review images and make adjustments
accordingly is of great benefit to their work. Likewise,
the average person taking images of a special event such
as a birthday celebration or a wedding will be safe in
the knowledge that their photograph has turned out
ok and the moment has been captured successfully.
However, advances in photography have taken away
the ability for one to take a picture and forget about
it. Analogue photography allows you to appreciate
your surroundings and to stay in the moment as once
you have taken an
image there is no
Fig 30: A digitally coloured image of the view
going back. With
from Loch Lomond
digital photography,
there is a tendency
to take a picture
then scrutinize
over it whilst
simultaneously
missing what is
going on around
you.
Although unique
entities, analogue
and digital
photography do
not always need to
be thought of as
separate from one
another. Advances
in technology and
image manipulation
can be applied to
analogue techniques
also. The scanning
of film allows us
to convert our
negatives into
a digital image.
An under or
overexposed image
may be salvaged through editing and adjustments to
exposure, highlights and shadows. An image can be
transformed from black and white to colour using
colourisation techniques and images can be stored or
shared without incurring the cost of printing.
Even with such advances in technology, there is room
for both digital and analogue photography. Digital
brings with it fresh, modern images whereas analogue
produces classic, timeless pieces that remind us of the
history of photography.
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