Digital Art Photography 101: So Long Film Photography!

Film photography is dead. Well, you can say that it's dying. It's because technology is getting sophisticated each day, making it easier and easier to manipulate digital photograph (images) without printing (or developing) it first.

What's digital images?
It's any artwork stored electronically, whether from a digital camera (pocket or SLR), scanned from (analog) film or print, stills (photo) from a camcoder, or some images from the Web.

What's the advantages having digital images?
Once you have a digital image resides in the hard drive of your computer, the chip of your cellphone, or the memory inside your digital camera, you can:

- Manipulate it with a mouse.
You can change your image's color, size, make it look like painting, etc.
It's advisable to have a computer (whether it's a PC or Mac) though.
- Keep it indefinitely without deterioration.
Digital images don't bend or crumble. And it dont' pick up stains from fingerprints or coffee.

So, digital is more superior than film, right?
Well, YES! That's why you read this article from the start, right?

To help you understand the difference between digital and film, take a moment to look at this table below.

Digital:
- Cost
Pros: No film cost
Cons: Equipment is expensive
- Ease of use
Pros: More controls in LCD panel to bring your creativity to life.
Cons: Frequent change of batteries or battery removal and recharging is required for camera to work.
- Image quality:
Pros: Clear and vivid. Edges are crisp.
Cons: Depending to model and price. Higher price usually have better quality.
- Output tools:
Pros: Prints can be made at home with ink cartridge printers.
Cons: -

Film:
- Cost
Pros: -
Cons: Film and developing cost. It's higher cost than digital nowadays.
- Ease of use
Pros: Fewer control and no LCD make camera less confusing.
Cons: Only higher level of photography education are required to use the camera.
- Image quality:
Pros: More natural looking images when light hits film, and can be kept as hard copy for decades.
Cons: No color temperature control.
- Output tools
Pros: -
Cons: Prints have to be sent out for processing unless you have complicated developing materials at home along with a darkroom.

So, why the heck people are still using film anyway?
1. Because it is more satisfying if you have good photo with film, because it is harder to capture the same moment twice (no no, you can't look at the LCD like digital camera).
2. Because film has more sensitivities than digital. Most film has 5 stops, but digital has only 4 stops. You'll move from artistic images to screwed images more easily in digital. We'll discuss about histogram and stops later.
3. Because film usually has longer life than digital. CDs and hard disk can be easily damaged by scratches and virus.