In addition to the book I published this year I would like to present my view towards the digital medium we all committed to in the recent years. I am going to explain the technical side of it rather than the ideology.
Digital like Analogue is a signal.
As we all know it is composed of 0 and 1 mixed and organized endlessly to generate forms of information. An image is composed of pixels which are generated by this 0 and 1 coding system.
There is therefore a complex structure which enables the the coding system to create pixels, which then combined together make an image. So, in order to generate a digital image the information has to pass through different mediums which use a common language. But this flow can only exist if we transform the original transmission into something else.
When we take pictures, we are facing a real situation. What I mean by "real" is the three dimensional aspect of matters. We as human, live in a 3D world. What we experience usually remains 3D. Obviously, we can mention many other ways of experiencing which would involve other type of dimensions, but let's make it simple. If you want to really experience a car for instance, you will buy a car to obtain the real sensation because it relates to your 3D experience of being. The car and yourself stand in the same dimension and you can enjoy what the car is designed fully for. This product exists and you can touch it, it is material.
When you take pictures with film, you capture a scene from the 3D real world and transpose it onto a bi-dimensional surface we call a film. The information is transformed into a 2D surface but the film itself exists as a 3D reality. You have then condensed the 3D into a 2D because you need to print it, that is what still photographs are for. Therefore the transformation is direct.
And this 2D data will remain intact to print - it is fixed in time and matter (we could say frozen) The information remains 2D but exists as a 3D reality. In fact, the transformation is very limited even though we are changing dimension, but the aim of the film is to find a concrete way to produce a solution to display a 3D reality into an other form of 3D reality by using the 2D.
A becomes B which becomes A.
When you work with digital the logic is totally different. The 3D real is transformed into an other language which we call digital or virtual. The 3D is alien somehow to the result. The 3D becomes a data which we import into a virtual dimension, which is somehow not a dimension. It is a concept, a method, a processor in fact. Obviously, you can print from your digital files and create a 3D finish to the data by printing in multiple ways. Nevertheless, the original form of information, your picture is alien and doesn't exist. The digital is not a reality, it's a transformer of data for fast delivery. In fact, it has been designed to cut the costs ( film, developing, printing, etc..) and it is very satisfactory for the amateur who can see immediately if the picture is correct.
Digital is in fact brilliant to send information, to diffuse. That is why we are all turning towards this new medium in most industries as it costs almost nothing. Because in fact we managed to create something which is almost nothing but from which we became very dependent rapidly.
A becomes 0011001000010001111110 which becomes A
One of my main concern with digital photography is that most people are very excited about it but do not really understand its concept and limits. But here let's just concentrate on wedding photography as I guess we all want to share images of our special day with future generations.
The reality with digital is simple. First, as a object/support as a disc or DVD doesn't last more or less, more than 5 years. Softwares keep on changing and it is sometimes impossible to read the materials after few years. Computers are not meant to last more than five years and crash(we have to keep on feeding the economy and progress). The most sensible and secure way to protect your images is to purchase a separate hard drive. But still after all those protections and concerns, the original informations as a real form doesn't exist - it is virtual, it is digital.
Whereas a film exists and last for more than a century. And you can always back-up your images on a digital format by scanning your films. By using that method you obtain film quality straight from the camera without having to interfere with the digital world which actually make life more difficult than helping. The film quality has a better contrast and harmony than most digital cameras. It's a lens, a hole and a film - simple! The lens for the subject, the hole to pass the information, the film to receive the information. There is no purer way to do. And if you are a real professional you should be able to work this way with ease.
Digital generate problems at all stages and you actually spend more time trying to find the right way it looked as you saw it. What you see on the back of your camera or on your computer screen is a projection, and interpretation - this is not real. Think about it !
Digital is in fact great for the amateur, and we all have to use it as professional, but this medium has nothing to do with quality, but it is very helpful and fun. Digital exists because it is convenient and cheap. It is therefore less elitist and generate a stronger economy in that area. And consequently, like for anything else, quality goes down dramatically. It doesn't mean that there are no more good photographers, but bad quality usually overshadows the bests because of its scale and non caring.
In the end here are the two questions you have to ask yourself before searching for a wedding photographer. Do I want a cheap photographer who delivers average materials which will not last more than few years, or do I want a professional dedicated photographer who can provide me with the best at a reasonable price ?
Memories are priceless and deal with our profound dimension, but there is nothing like a beautiful image on paper to generate laughs and tears. Especially when you look at them 20 years later.
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