The simple explanation for digital photography is in the way that digital technology can be manipulated in order to produce photos. As we know before the arrival of digital technology it was analogue technology that was used to take and store pictures. Either on a vhs tape or on a piece of paper with special chemicals on it. This technology has serious limits but with digital methods we can store, and send picture and sound with ease.
There are several different ways of digital processing; digital photography is just one of them. Digital images are also made by non-photographic ways such as computer tomography scanners, and radio telescopes. Conventional images can be scanned with special equipment in order to reproduce digital pictures.
The technology that is used in digital cameras for them to store information is with a system called solid state flash memory. Camcorders can also be used as still image cameras and vice a versa and in both cases solid state flash memory is used. Before flash memory, cameras used floppy discs and CD’s to store digital information. In almost all modern cameras digital memory devices are used.
Digital cameras can take pictures, and can also record sound and video. Some can connect to a printer without using a computer, and others can display pictures directly on to a television. Similarly, many camcorders can take still photographs, and store them on videotape with the same functionality as digital camera device.
Really the only minor down side to all this technology is that you have to use a computer at some point to down load and store your images. You can also transfer some of that data to your cell phone. So until recently the only way to see anything that you took was either your cell phone or P.C. A relatively new device that has entered the market is a digital picture keychain which is a small device that allows you to store and look at your photos.
