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The Real Impact Of Digital Photography

Although you may have never thought about it, digital photography has had an incredible impact on all of our personal lives. Capturing, sharing, and protecting our memories has never been easier. But the beauty of digital photos doesn't end with taking great pictures of your family and friends. Digital technology has helped to improve far more than our ability to share and store photographs, and for many modern industries it is hard to remember a time before it existed.

Here are just a few of the industries revolutionized by digital photography:

Medicine

The medical industry has profited greatly from the development of digital photos. With the ease of sending digital images, now patient data can be stored with relevant images and sent to anywhere in the world. No film means instant results for things such as X-rays or reference photographs, and photos can now be stored on a hard drive instead of taking up valuable space in a storage room. So many types of medical procedures (like endoscopic surgeries) would not be possible if it weren't for digital technology.

Cyber-Space

During the last ten years, the internet has become a new way to socialize. The internet was once considered a hangout for nerds but now has become one of the most important communication tools in the world. A big part of this commuication is the ability to share, upload and download images. Facebook alone has over 10 billion photographs and counting, none of which would be present if not for digital cameras. Whether it’s sharing images of a wedding (so others can display them in picture frames) or cell-phone photos of a crisis, digital has changed the way in which people share their stories on the web.

Outer Space

Space exploration is thought to be one of humanity's most significant achievements. New technology has let scientists see things in space that had never been viewed before like the digital cameras mounted on the Mars Exploration Rovers that have helped us learn more about the Planet Mars. Without the ability to process images as data and transmit them across space, our view of outer space would still be very limited.

The Field of Sports

While it may seem obvious that the development of digital has changed the way in which we document sporting events, it’s hard to understand how great a difference it has created without looking in more detail. Since digital photography is not limited by film, there is really no cost difference between taking a thousand photographs or taking one. With this added freedom, sports journalists are free to take thousands of photographs at every event they cover, increasing their chances of scoring one of those “one in a million” shots and opening the profession up to those who may have been afraid to risk the film.

How We Learn

At nearly every level of education, digital photography has helped to make learning more interactive, more rewarding, and more accessible. The low cost of taking digital pictures makes it great for student projects as well as giving students countless resources for research projects and presentations. This creates pictures to be used in more places whether displayed in some small picture frames or stashed in a wallet, pictures are an important part of our lives. Digital video, which relies on many of the same technologies as digital photos, has improved our ability to take courses from home and has helped to erase national borders by allowing students to interact with people across the globe in real-time.

It's easy to take things for granted- like digital photography- that we use every day and have come to expect. But when you take a look back on all of the things that digital cameras have made possible, it's hard to image our lives without them. From advanced medical procedures to a clearer view of the stars, digital has opened many doors that without it would have remained closed – possibly forever.

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