Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts.

Digital photography is the practice of taking photographs using a digital camera or a camera on a digital device (think smartphone or tablet). It works differently to film photography – which relies upon light, chemical reactions, and time in a dark room to produce the image.

Instead, a digital camera produces images using an electronic sensor inside the camera that captures the light that enters through the lens. The camera’s processor then converts it into a digital file and images captured are stored on the camera’s memory card.

Nowadays, most of the photographs you’ll see in the world are taken using digital cameras. Digital photos allow us to review, share, and edit within seconds of taking them. So, you can see how digital photography found its relevance in the ever-connected world we live in today.

History of digital photography

To understand the revolutionary impact of digital photography, it’s worth us walking back in history a little.

Before digital cameras, photography was primarily captured on film. Today, you’ll find these cameras still clutched in the hands of urban hipsters and photographers alike. Film cameras require a negative image to be developed and printed in a darkroom, which demands time and patience. It can take anywhere from several minutes to several hours, depending on the type of film, the method used, and the expertise of the developer.

Many photographers still find that shooting on film creates something truly unique in an image. Its only downfall, which later knocked its stature in the race against digital cameras, is that you have to wait until your photos are developed to see how they turn out. So, for novices, anyone testing out a new camera’s settings, and even professional photographers; it can be hard to learn what’s working for you until after the moment has passed.

Instant cameras such as Polaroid [MP1] provided a solution when they came to the masses in the ’60s, allowing users to instantly develop and view their photographs too. Then in the ‘70s and ‘80s, early digital cameras were starting to hit the scene. But because of their exclusivity, they were expensive. And as the technology was still advancing, they produced low-resolution photographs.

But with the digital revolution in the late 20th century, the quality of digital photography cameras began to surpass that of film and instant cameras. Different types of digital cameras were being made, the technology was better, and so was the final image. Ultimately, digital cameras then became affordable and available to the masses.