Digital Cameras

Thank goodness for modern technology. Can you imagine trying to take a picture with the same cameras that they had before the digital camera world? Even though Steven Sasson invented and built the first digital camera in 1975, they didn’t reach their popularity until recently and now most cameras sold today are digital. The immediate gratification of being able to see the picture you just took seems completely logical now. But before people had to hold their poses for a bit longer than an instant, up to 15 minutes, which is why they smiled less and gazed blankly into the distance. But back in the day, it was a really big deal to have your picture taken, compared to now as we carry cameras around with us 24/7, photographing everything in sight instantly. Once the image is captured we can decide in that moment whether we want to delete and reshoot. It is incredible to think how far the art of photography has come over the years. The first permanent photograph took 8 hours to take, fortunately people were not subject to this; an object that wouldn’t move was typically the focus.

Fortunately it is easy to learn how to use a digital camera. The difficult part is finding the right digital camera for you. There is a wide range of types, from compact to Bridge to DLSR to waterproof to the ones we know and love so much, integration digital cameras that we find within our phones. There is a distinct difference between professional photography and photography for fun or as a hobby. However, with programs like Photoshop it seems like anyone can make them self look like a professional photographer. Compact digital cameras are more portable and less technical than Bridge or DLSR cameras. They are also known as point-and-shoot cameras, therefore are more for snapshots versus professional. Plus their compact size makes them easy to carry around and have on hand. But if you forget yours at home, don’t worry because most phones have cameras on them that take decent pictures as well.

Bridge and DLSR, short for single-lens reflex cameras, take professional and high quality photos. Bridge cameras have a fixed lens and do not have the same reflex viewing quality that DLSRs have. DLSRs use a mirror reflected light that makes the viewing and in turn the light exposure better, which produces higher quality photos the Bridge. DLSR also allows you to interchange the lens, which the Bridge only has the capability to add an extra wide angle lens. But Bridge cameras were manufactured to bridge the gap between compact digital cameras and SLRs, which were extremely expensive before DLSRs.

Whichever style of photography you like, it is a lot of fun to document all of the memories, and look back at them, appreciating each shot. We are extremely lucky to be able to do so now so easily, while smiling and enjoying the moment.