ABSTRACT
This book predominantly covers the details of traditional darkroom work, because we believe that analog photography provides the most valuable final product possible: a silver-gelatin print, properly processed to archival standards. With the recent advent of digital imaging, however, even the most sophisticated image manipulation techniques are readily available to anyone with access to a powerful computer and specialized image software. Digital image manipulation is often easier and more powerful than its darkroom counterpart and typically delivers seamless results in less time. By combining analog photography and digital imaging, these sophisticated options also become available to the analog darkroom enthusiast. This chapter is an introduction to digital imaging in order to take advantage of these cross-over technologies, some of which are presented throughout the rest of the book. Digital imaging is a vast subject, which has already filled many books on its own. Consequently, we will not get into the intricacies of digital image manipulation, but we will introduce essential digital elements and discuss choices that have a direct bearing on protecting digitally stored image data and achieving the best image quality possible. The color original of this image was taken with a digital SLR and converted to monochrome through imaging software. To ensure these delicate white flowers show plenty of detail, the image was taken in diffuse sunlight with a small degree of underexposure and using a tripod. An aperture of f/11 was used to ensure all the petals were in focus, though at this small aperture setting, the image quality was already starting to be limited by diffraction. Digital equivalents of traditional darkroom manipulations were used to suppress edge detail and lift the tonal values. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780240816265/ffb21561-2f2c-4dca-99ec-f086fc154d4d/content/figch5sc5_1_OC.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780240816265/ffb21561-2f2c-4dca-99ec-f086fc154d4d/content/figch5sc5_u1_OC.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>
