The Allure of Digital Photography

Photographers and photography enthusiasts often have a mythological narrative about analogue format photography, but what are the alluring attributes of digital photography? Do not misinterpret this essay, because we are not discussing digitally-enhanced photography, but rather work which was captured with a digital camera. Although analogue format photography has stunning granial texture and rich contrast, digital photography offers a pleasant saturation, potential for remarkable detail, and economical applications. 

One of the advantages of digital photography is the ability to improve or correct your mistakes within a relatively short time period. The other night, I took a photograph of glaring street lights amidst a fog outside the street in front of my condominium. Initially, on screen the photograph looked perfectly fine, but when I went inside my home to upload the camera to the computer the photo turned out to have an unsightly cropped rear end of a car towards the edge of the frame. So I took my Sony Alpha a6400 camera back outside and took another shot, the end result was perfect. Had I used analogue format photography, I would have had to wait a couple of weeks to see the mistake in order for the negative to be processed. Then wait another couple of weeks from the negatives to be developed in the lab in order to witness whether I had made any other errors with my shot. 

David Lynch, although a filmmaker and not a photographer, often remarked how much he loved digital and absolutely hated analogue format film. He described format film as “dirty, heavy, and expensive”. Lynch also admired the aesthetic qualities of digital, which is evident in his film Inland Empire, one of the first full feature production films shot entirely with a digital camera. 

With the release of mirrorless cameras within the last few years and better circuit-writing technologies and improved image processing engines, today’s photographers do not need a full-frame camera in order to achieve stunning results. For the layperson, a full-frame digital camera is one which has a sensor the same size as a 35mm frame. The advantage of an advanced non-full-frame mirrorless camera would be they are portable, making them ideal for travel or documentary photography. Examples are the compact APS-C series by Sony, such as the Alpha a6400 or Alpha a6700. Although, if you have your mind dead-set on maximizing image quality, then a full-frame camera such as the Sony Alpha 7 series is an excellent option.

Digital photography, in terms of aesthetics, seems to have a saturated sfumato texture to the surface as opposed to the fine granular texture of analogue format. Such a compositional plane can have a sense of moisture to the frame, while format photography may seem dry and rusty. One is not superior over the other, the issue is a matter of taste. However, both avenues of photography, whether digital or analogue offer the photographer options as to their conceptual goals. There is a saying of the art of photography is the ability to ‘not push the button’. When I first started shooting photography, I would take constant shots and hope for the best. Now, with more experience, I carefully study the light, the light source, the shadows, the colors, and composition in my frame before I push the shoot button. Savor the moment when you take a shot, don’t just automatically push and wish for a miracle shot. 

In terms of technicalities, aspiring photographers should know megapixels mean almost nothing, unless you plan on making huge prints to capture more pixel information. Other than this, for a vast majority of prints, a photographer does not need more than 24 megapixels in a camera. An old 11 megapixel full-frame camera will always take better photographs than a 50 megapixel camera on your cell phone. What matters in photography is the size of the camera’s sensor and the quality of your lens. If you are an entry-level photographer looking for a professional camera, keep in mind you should be shopping not only for a good sensor, but also for an advanced lens. 

Digital photography offers versatility, portability, mobility, and has endless possibilities in terms of integrative techniques with video, film, assemblage, collage, installation, and other digital applications. If you are a photographer, just go out and shoot. Don’t worry too much about the technicalities of photography. Go out there and be an artist, not a technician. You will learn along the way as the best learning curve is experience rather than advice and academic training. If you are a photography enthusiast, take the time to appreciate a photograph. A picture is literally worth a thousand words. Get lost into the realm of the photograph, absorb the atmosphere, the concept, and poetry of the texture.  

Finally, there is no need to digitally-enhance digital photography. While there is nothing inherently wrong with a digitally retouched and altered photograph, do not automatically assume your shot needs to be ‘corrected’. One of the problems with digital photography today is photographers will sometimes overdo their digital retouching and alterations, leaving a plastic appearance to the photograph. While there are many brilliant photographers who retouch and alter their photography, there are also many avant-garde photographers who leave their photographs completely unedited. A raw image has depth, authenticity, and scope, along with arthouse documentary implications.

unedited photography by Michael Hanna