History of digital photography tips 

Digital photography tips definition of digital photography is photography that uses a digital camera to capture images. Digital cameras use photosensitive sensors that convert the intensity of light into electric impulses. These impulses are stored in digital memory devices as RGB color space or as raw data.

Autumn scene of a tree.Teens can practice taking pictures around the neighborhoods they live in.

Digital photography has been around for about two decades. Unlimited storage space, live view displays and other conveniences used by digital photography made its first appearance in the 1950s. The first video tape recorders were developed in 1952. These were the first devices to use a coded signal or tape as a different recording medium other than film.

In 1957, Russell A. Kirsch invented a drum scanner that sensed the differences between light and darkness in an image to create the very first digital image. For the next two decades, researchers experimented with digital technology. Researchers developed rudimentary digital cameras that could be launched into space via satellite.

Edward Stupp, Peter Cath and Zsolt Szilagyi worked at Philips Labs in New York. In 1968, the trio invented “All Solid-State Radiation Imager” that received and stored an optical image on a matrix composed of an array of photodiodes.

In 1969, Willard Boyle and George Smith of Bell Labs developed CCD chips (charged-coupled device) that could be used in video cameras. The breakthrough for photographers came in December 1975 when Steven Sasson of Eastman Kodak developed the very first true digital camera using CCD chips. 

The first digital camera (as we know it today) was Fuji DS-1P made in 1988. The camera used JPEG and MPEG standards to compress images and video to storage. However, the model was not commercially successful.

There is some debate as to what was the first truly commercial digital camera. Consensus seems to lean towards the Logitech Fotoman. It could only produce images that measured 320x240 pixels. The digital camera had one megabyte of internal memory that was only accessible if you connected the camera to a computer.

In 1991, Kodak made the very first digital SLR – the DCS100. This system used a Nikon F3 with a digital back that downloaded images to a bulky storage unit. It had a 1.3-megapixel sensor, took color photographs and was marketed to photojournalists. The storage unit had 200 MB of space.

The first consumer level digital cameras appeared in 1995. Manufacturers included Casio, Ricoh and other Japanese consumer electronics companies. The Kodak DCS25 used the compact flash memory card in 1996. The Nikon D1 was a professional digital camera released in 1999. The Nikon D1 opened the floodgates of digital technology.

In 2000, Canon announced the D30, a consumer level 3.1 MP camera that brought DSLR’s within the range on non-professionals for the first time. Mirror-less cameras, electronic viewfinders and the smartphone have made a huge impact on the future of digital photography. Digital photography tips include the use of smartphones to take digital photographs.

Tree with changing leaves in autumn.Teens can take scenic pictures of trees with leaves that change into pretty colors like this tree.

Ten digital photography tips for taking pictures with your mobile phone 

  • Make sure your lens is clean. The dirty glass over the lens will block light that enters the camera’s sensors leaving smudges on the photographs.
  • You can learn a lot about photography from studying the work of other photographers. Make a list of the subjects for your photographs. You can then look for these shots on your photography outings.
  • You should make sure you have plenty of light when taking indoor and outdoor photographs. The right lighting ensures the best image quality of the subject you are photographing. 
  • Avoid adjusting your digital zoom by taking close up shots. However, you should be careful to avoid getting too close. Some mobile phone models distort the images of shots taken too close to the subject. 
  • Try to keep your mobile phone as still as possible while taking pictures. Choose the best photo apps that will help you take your best shots and edit the quality of these pictures afterwards.
  • Understand how your mobile phone takes pictures. Learn what the limitations are for shutter-speed range and fixed aperture. However, having the right mobile phone apps can help overcome mobile phone camera limitations.
  • Focus on one interesting subject from a unique perspective. Memorable mobile phone photographs also include reflection scenes of mirrors, large bodies of water, metallic surfaces and other objects providing reflection shots.
  • Symmetrical photos that provide harmonious balances make beautiful photographs to look at. Photographic symmetry is the division of a picture into two equal parts.
  • Taking compelling photographs includes taking close-up photos that reveal smaller details in the larger image.
  • One of the interesting digital photography tips is taking candid photographs. These photographs can capture a person’s emotional expressions more readily than taking a picture of a person who has posed for the shot. Try to capture interesting things people do for your picture portraits. Come up with comical pictures that will make others laugh.

Digital photography tips include investing time and money

Learning how to experiment is one of the key digital photography tips. Experimentation includes different styles of photography such as HDR, light painting, black and white. People or landscapes can be photographic subjects. Photographic experimentation can be teamed up with tutorials, guidebooks and the mobile phone camera’s manual to enhance the learning experience.

Ask for help when learning how to take better pictures is another important tip when it comes to other digital photography tips. Join other teens interested in photography in photography clubs in school or in the community. Use your mobile phone to connect with friends through social media channels and Internet forums and blogs. Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr and Worth1000.com are other places for teens to share their photos with others.

Autumn trees with leaves changing colors.Taking pictures like these helps teens practice taking better pictures using mobile phones.

Invest both time and money into your hobby. This means getting the right equipment such as a mobile phone camera, tripods, filters and software. Many teens already own a smartphone. These devices can be used to take clear photographs that can be transferred over to a computer. Free online editors are available to help teens develop beautiful images from the photographs teens take.

For examples of digital photography, you can explore the digital photography collection at the National Archives website.

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