Digital Imaging Explained

Digital Imaging is a process where an electronic photograph, scanned document, or image is converted into a series of electronic dots called pixels. Pixels is an acronym for "picture elements".

After the image is converted, or digitized, it is stored on a memory storage device which may be a hard drive or some sort of electronic storage device such as a memory stick. The pixels are stored in a compressed format to save storage space.

As each pixel is being created it is assigned a color value, called a tonal value, of black, white, shades of grey, or an actual color. These pixels must be processed by a piece of software in order for them to be called up and viewed as an actual image later.

Traditional cameras capture images onto film while digital cameras use an electronic chip known as a Charged Coupling Device (CCD). The CCD is actually a grid of miniature light-sensitive diodes. These diodes convert photons (light) that strikes them into electrons (electrical impulses). The technical name for these diodes is 'photosite'. The brighter the light is that hits the photosite the stronger the electrical charge is that's produced.

After converting the photons into electrons, a mini-computer, located inside of the camera, reads the stored electrical value in each photograph. Then a built-in analog-to-digital converter turns the stored electrical value into a digital value. These digital values are then stored on the cameras memory storage device. When these digital values are recalled by software, and displayed on a screen, they reproduce the image that was originally captured by the camera or digital input device.

The digital image that is created by the CCD is huge. It's far too big to be easily stored in the relatively little amount of storage space that's available to a digital camera. Accordingly, the camera's computer compresses the image to make it smaller.

There are two basic methods for achieving this compression. The first method takes advantage of repetitive patterns in the image. For example, if you are taking a picture of an airplane that is flying in the sky, a lot of the picture will be a chunk of blue sky. The camera recognizes that there are multiple parts of the image containing the same digital information, so it only records a small piece of the sky. Then it simply creates a map to tell it where the rest of the sky belongs. When the picture is ultimately displayed the sky appears exactly the same as it did in the original image when it was first captured. The only difference is that the overall storage requirements were reduced thanks to the camera's clever mapping techniques.

The other method uses a procedure called irrelevancy. This methodology automatically removes digital information that is not visible to the human eye such an infra red light.

Digital imaging is amazing yet we have only started witnessing the revolutionary changes that are yet to come.

About The Author

Warren Lynch has been shooting commercial photography since 1979. Clients include Several Regional and National accounts. Sign up for"The Digital Dose" and receive his tips every other week for FREE! http://www.photopheed.com.

contact@photopheed.com

---

Traveling to Europe with Your Digital Camera?

The Vacation Season is fast approaching and naturally you will... Read More

Diffusion & Softening of Digital Photography Images

Like many people who've made the switch from film cameras... Read More

Photography 101 Part 2

Basic CompositionNow that you are beginning to understand how your... Read More

Is your Digital Camera Compatible With Your Computer?

So you recently bought a digital camera or perhaps your... Read More

Nikon Digital Cameras - Cool(pix) and Functional

Even though Nikon entered the camera world by 1948, today... Read More

Portrait Photography: Tips and Methods

Portrait is defined as, "A likeness of a person, especially... Read More

Wildlife Scouting Cameras

For years I wondered how big the bucks were that... Read More

The Naked Truth on Shooting Nudes

There are major obstacles to overcome to get into nude... Read More

Megapixel Cameras: How Many Megapixels Do You Need?

Knowing which megapixel camera to buy can be intimidating. There... Read More

Transfer The Digital Camera Images To Your Computer

There are a few very important tasks associated with using... Read More

Move Up to the World of the Digital SLR Camera

A digital SLR camera or a single lens reflex (SLR)... Read More

Black & White Photography

Photography is a diversified field of creating a spectral variety... Read More

How to Make Your Production Look a Lot Slicker for £40 More

Tight BudgetsTight budgets are common these days. But the demand... Read More

Photography Courses Online

There are also some excellent online courses available and some... Read More

Digital Camera Metering

Looking at the most intricate details of the digital camera... Read More

Travel and Scenic Photography 101

When you're driving through the mountains somewhere, and you... Read More

The Paradigm: Going Digital

As you might imagine the paradigm shift from traditional film-based... Read More

Start Up a Travel Photography Business

Too many people have the idea that being paid to... Read More

Photography - Things to Consider Before Buying a Camera

Before you are able to take the kind of photos... Read More

Memories That Get Lost

How many people have pictures in a shoe box? In... Read More

Getting Rid of Red Eye

The photos you took of the party are really great... Read More

Selecting Good Stock Photography in the Age of Digital

The business of stock photography has drastically changed over the... Read More

Digital Camera Auto Exposure and Auto Focus

The digital camera being a fantastic and technologically advanced device... Read More

A Guide to Disposable Digital Cameras

Disposable Cameras (also called single-use cameras) first came on the... Read More

Fuji Digital Cameras

Fuji digital cameras entered the market in the late 90's.... Read More

Digital Camera Basics

Digital Camera Basics? The VocabularyShopping for a digital camera can... Read More

Modeling Portfolio Webites

In the age of home phones and 8x10's we all... Read More

Sepia Toned Prints from Your Colour or Black and White Photos ? 5 Minute Digital Fix

Quite often I will have clients bring in old photographs... Read More

Photography Contest - a fun and rewarding experience

Do you like to take photos? Are you always standing... Read More

Tiny Cameras, Big Pictures and Make Your Photos Great!

The path to picking a digital camera usually leads to... Read More

Canadas Digital Cameras, Digital Camcorders and Cheap Memory Cards Canada

Digital SLR Camera or Digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is... Read More

Start Up a Nude Photography Business

There are major obstacles to overcome to get into nude... Read More

The Mysterious Powerful Element of a Picture That Sells

A photo buyer calls for a picture of pigs. It... Read More