Friday, 1 April 2011

Tutorial 2 - Digital Imaging

Digital imaging can be stored, transferred and manipulated through the use of technology,
Often photos that look unrealistic and photos of perfect faces on magazines are not completely authentic. The use of technology has allowed us to adapt photos to show in these magazines exactly what they want to be shown.  Storing images in something than can primary be done through the use of hardware. Photos are often taken on cameras and either stored in the camera or the memory chip of the camera; however it is becoming more common for people to use other devices to take photos like laptops and cell phones.  The photos are then stored on this hardware. They can also be transferred to CDs or USB sticks to be stored. Manipulating digital images can be done on a program as simple as paint, if the user wants to make it obvious the photo has been manipulated however for a more professional and discrete effect, Photoshop can be used. Through Photoshop you are able to change the colour and contract of the photos, add people and items into other photos and change the body shape, skin tone and height of people.

“A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature”
Digital cameras seemed to be quickly adopted by many when they came out following the era of when most used disposable cameras; the digital cameras were clearly superior. In nearly every way possible they were better, you could take an many photos as you wanted but only had to print the ones which you liked being among the biggest highlights of the digital camera. But the film or disposable cameras still has their advantages. When a new technology is first bought out it is always going to be expensive, as were digital camera. Digital cameras ran on batteries which needed to be charged unlike the old cameras. And when getting the photos developed from film cameras it was always more exciting to see the photos as you were unable to see them before.  However new technologies are always being developed and modified. The prices have dropped significantly since they first came out making them more accessible to a wide range of people, they have increased the length of time which the batteries last for, made a higher quality photo, increased the zoom and decrease the time it takes to take a photo all while decreasing the size of the camera.

With technology on the rise ethical considerations need to be considered, people need to be mindful what they are taking photos of, and following this, what they are using the photos for. It is considered unethical to take pictures of the inside of private property without permission and it is also considerate to advise people that are in photos if you plan to share them, specifically over the internet. With the use of the internet it is easy to see others photos and copy them, many of them are covered by copyright laws and therefore must not be copied. Some other images have limited rights and therefore can be copied, but must not be adapted.
Digital cameras are currently being used in occupational therapy in the areas of housing modifications and client assessments. In housing modification they are used to take photos of the area which is to be modified and this helps to explain the modification which will take place, these are also used in the applications for funding, and stored with notes. Digital cameras can also be used when assessing client. Photos can be taken when the client is referred to a service; these original photos can then be compared after the client has received therapy to show progress. 

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