In the world of art, photography has always been controversial. Initially, photography was considered to be a technique instead of art because photographers created it with equipment and not their hands, said Minsook Park, a graduate student who teaches a digital film class in the Ohio University School of Art. Today, most would consider photography art, but the development of digital technology has continued to alter the way that people perceive and teach photography.
It is not surprising that technology has impacted photography so drastically because it was one of the first art forms to embrace it, said Craig Fetherolf, an associate professor at the OU School of Art. Advancements such as digital are just another tool, he said.
Most photographers agree that digital photography has its place.
Digital for many photographers ' myself included ' breathes new life into photography and puts an element of fun in it
said Barbara Glaeser, a professional photographer in Silver Spring, Md. Park has a similar opinion. Digital photography has made pictures more playful, she said.
Fetherolf said he thinks digital technology has changed the thought process behind photography: Students can work through ideas faster. The process is more cerebral. For instance, images of historical scenes can be given a new context through editing, he said.
In some ways, digital photography is more convenient than traditional film. Sarah Amato, a junior in commercial photography, found that digital technology allows her to complete projects faster. Techniques such as burning and double images can be done in a darkroom, but Park said it is quicker and more precise on a computer.
However, convenience should not be mistaken for ease. Programs such as Adobe Photoshop have a high learning curve, said Dennis Dean, a professor of fine arts at OU's Chillicothe campus. There are automated ways of editing photos, but it might not always be the right correction.
A person can work with Photoshop for years and only scratch the surface he said.
Students still are exposed to traditional film in the classroom. Deane, who teaches introductory photography classes, has his students work first with non-digital cameras. He said that he feels it gives them a better understanding of the process because they can control facets such as light exposure. Digital cameras can do this ' but they cost $500, he said.
Digital does not always cost more. In the past, students had to submit portfolios on slides. Fetherolf has noticed that portfolios now are formatted on CDs instead, which saves the applicant over $30.
For now, once students get into upper-level photography classes they can choose whether to work with digital or traditional technology, but that could change as traditional materials such as film become harder to obtain, Deane said.
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Freshman photojournalism students Kate Gascoine, Sophia Borazanian and Shaena Mallet wait for an exciting play at the Ohio University baseball game Sunday. All Ohio University visual communication photojournalism students use digital cameras.
