Digital vs. Analog Photography

1) What are some photographic effects that can be achieved using digital or analog (darkroom, film, lights etc) technology?
Using light to alter an image can be used in a lot of different ways in analog photography. When taking a picture with a traditional camera a photographer can change the shutter speed to affect how much light is let in. Light can also be used to make interesting special effects during the development process and one can use techniques called dodging and burning to change how light or dark the final image is during the printing process of the photograph.

Photographers can also use a technique called double exposures where they capture two photographs on the same piece of film. This can be used to create interesting optical illusions, it can suggest powerful statements through insightful juxtapositions, and create false impressions by suggesting that two things were in the same place at the same time that in fact never were. A contemporary artist who does interesting work with double exposures is Tierney Gearon.



2) What are some photographic techniques that can only be done using digital technology?
To me, the most important feature of digital technology that traditional photography does not have is the "undo" button. The fact that photographers can make all sorts of alterations and quickly go back if they don't like how they turned out seems really incredible.

Looking at Photoshop, it seems like a lot of the features are inspired by techniques used in analog photography (like the example of solarization above) but the "artistic" filters are new techniques that could not be done without this technology. Here are some examples of what these filters can look like:



3) What is the difference between analog photography and digital photography?
The technical difference between analog and digital photography has to do with how analog photography uses light and chemicals in the development process to produce an image on film while digital photography involves manipulating a digitized image on a computer. As both technologies advance the difference visually seems more and more difficult to spot when they are used to depict a realistic image that has not been heavily manipulated. In a practical sense it could be argued that digital photography is a better pursuit at least to a beginner since you do not need to spend money on film or dark room equipment and it is much easier to correct your mistakes. Though on the other hand, the laborious process that can be involved with analog photography makes it more easily viewed as a true art form and not just a simple process of pressing a button.