Tutorial Two: Digital Imaging

This tutorial we focussed on the capturing, sharing and use of photography, in particular that of digital photography.

With the introduction of digital cameras into the commonplace they are widely accessible and fairly easy to use. The images we capture has changed from limited purposes and special occasions to becoming more and more of the everyday and with a huge increase in the volume of photos. The technology used includes digital cameras, video cameras, cell phones, laptops and personal devices such as the iPhone. Digital Photography is used in our work, leisure and day to day lives but its essential purpose is that of fulfilling the human occupation of record keeping.

A more traditional use of photography is that of wedding photography. With digital photography the occupation has evolved so the photographer can take a larger range of shots, be more creative using software such as Photoshop, distribute images to customers easier and advertise easier. An example of this can be seen at http://www.wendyford.co.nz/weddings.html.

Another common use of digital photography is that of family photos. This is a video of one girl whose parents took a photo of her every day until she was 10.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejbNVWES4LI&feature=player_embedded

Although not exclusive to digital photography the art of contemporary photography has become more accessible, broader and more widely accepted and shared through digital photography. Here is an example of an online contemporary photography magazine that demonstrates the sharing of photography http://www.lensculture.com/index.html

“A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature”

There are obviously some big downsides to digital photography. Anyone who has every lost oodles of important photos from a computer crashing can tell you that. Without investing a large amount of money in quality lenses it is difficult to obtain the clarity of a reasonable film camera with images becoming pixelated. With the ease of digital photography photos become almost taken for granted. Are 100 similar photos stored on a disk more valuable than one treasured film photo? And of course digital photography simply lacks the romance of the darkroom and sepia tones of the past or the thrill of getting your developed film back not knowing which photos were on the film. But then again probably half the photos had a finger over the lens, were too dark or out of focus...

Although I believe that the use of modern technology has enabled a higher quality and creativity of photography it widespread use can give way to an attitude of ‘everyone’s an expert’. With the DIY version of Uncle Tim’s video of Tom and Sarah’s wedding he may be able to record the event but it is lacking the ability to accurately capture and portray an event

Ethical considerations of the capturing and distribution of digital images

With the ease of digital photography it is easy for images of a person to be taken or distributed without their knowledge or consent. This obviously leads to a lack of informed consent. Similarly it is difficult to maintain intellectual property rights of photos you put up on the internet, even a copy write is not enough to stop people using the images they find online for any purpose.

Use of digital image capturing and distribution in Occupational therapy

The use of digital photography is common. This can be in taking photos before or after an environmental adaptation, as a record of progress, it is also an effective way of communicating information between team members. The use of photography can also be encouraged as a leisure activity. In my placement in a school environment photographs were taken of student’s achievements and important events to give students a sense of self worth and confidence. Here is a link to a care provider’s site illustrating how digital photography is used in OT http://www.glencare.com/activities/93