Digital Or Film?
By Tj Tierney, Fri Dec 9th

For many, digital photography is a breath of fresh air, but bewary - believing our landscape images will be superior could bea serious blunder.

Having lost count of the number of people who have asked me:"have you gone digital?" I am always left wondering why it'ssuch a much-asked question. The camera is only a tool in which aphotographer creates an image. His personal ability to create aunique image remains the same.

For many forms of photography, digital has long held obviousadvantages, but for landscapes the resolution necessary to makelarger prints just wasn't available. But things have changed anddigital are fast becoming the tools that most pros use.

Modern digital are perfectly capably of matching the 35mm film - the format which most landscape photographers beginwith. But can they really match the large format film cameras?This is probably the greatest question that all photographersface.

Instant LCD feedback is digitals greatest gift and this enablesthe photographer to check exposure and composition of theirimage in the blink of an eye. While this is a big advantage, thehours spent in front of the computer processing the raw imageshave to be a hindrance. A landscape photographers time is bestspent behind a camera not in front of a computer.

The pros and cons of digital photography will remain an issuefor

some time. At the end of the day a digital camera won't makea photographers images better. The same values we apply in ourphotography should remain regardless of which camera we use.

Good photography remains as elusive and as enticing as it everwas; going digital doesn't change this or make getting goodimages any easier. It brings technical advantages, and plenty ofthem, but the majority of photographic techniques never change.Good landscape images come from the photographer's personalability, not the ability of a camera. The camera helps, but thecreative eye remains the same.

As a landscape photographer I am still hesitant to embracedigital photography and all the qualities that digital hasbrought to other professionals in different photography fields.

There are a few simple reasons that I still use a film camera:The authenticity of my images could be questioned if I used adigital camera. It is often assumed that great digital imageshave been manipulated. Too much time is spent in front of acomputer. Slide film produce stronger colours than a digitalcamera.

There are many advantages for changing to digital but I'm goingto stick with film; for the time-being that is. With time filmcameras will be a thing of the past and all our images will beexchanged for the pixels. But, be wary - believing our work willbe superior would be falling into a great trap. For me sizematters, the larger I can print an image the better.

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