I don’t regret moving to digital photography in the least but at times I feel somewhat dazed by the technology. I started in photography over 30 years ago and not during colloidal wet-plates days as my kids would believe. I had a camera, a roll of film, a lens and a flash if needed. I planned shots to take advantage of my gear and the photo processing results at the local Kmart. Then I got into darkroom work and could plan with more options because I knew I could do things in the darkroom during the wet/dry work to produce or correct what I wanted. Not to sound nostalgic but things seemed a lot simpler then in many regards. Next thing you know I’ll be yelling at kids to get off my lawn!

Now with the advent of digital cameras/image manipulation I’m sometimes a wee bit overwhelmed by the number of options I can choose from when shooting and processing. As I’m composing a shot I’m thinking in my head how I can produce an image that not only documents the subject but also how post processing allows me to produce a concept that may not exist in the scene, or at least in the way I see it in my mind. Not with every shot but often I have to plan to convey what I see in my head (however vacant up there) and think several steps ahead in the whole work-flow process. I guess I did that to some degree in film but I don’t think in the same scope as in digital work. And not having to swap cameras for a quick change from color to B+W sure makes life easier!

Let’s look at a typical digital workflow and one I primarily use. I’ve included links to the equipment for those not familiar with what I mention here. I first capture images on my DSLR (Canon 50D) and then transfer the files to a secondary storage device (Epson EP-3000) in the field. Using Adobe Lightroom after the shoot I transfer images to both my PC (Dell Studio XPS) and a NAS – network attached storage device (Buffalo TeraStation) During this process I add metadata and copyright information. After the transfer I sort and delete the unusable images. Then I use Adobe Photoshop to correct, enhance or retouch the images. Lightroom offers some of these features but I prefer the options and control I have in Photoshop. After completing the image refinement I print to either a Canon i9900 or an Epson R220 printer.

I’m sure some of you experiment in the same manner but I sometimes go with a minimalist approach to a shoot. That’s one of the reasons I bought the Canon G11 – it can be used simplistically like the old 35mm rangefinder cameras. I say “old” but Leica still has digital rangefinder cams though ridiculously expensive! My interests in photography styles are quite varied and one I enjoy is street photography, especially in B+W. The G11 allows me do this creatively, quickly and unobtrusively. My Canon 50D with a grip, lens and flash can’t really offer that without raising a lot of unwanted attention or someone’s self-consciousness. I have been asked to leave or put away my DSLR in a club and it was Halloween!

In the same minimalist fashion I’ve done outdoor portraits using only available light and a collapsible reflector disk. It’s liberating and simpler but doesn’t always give me the control I want. In a way I guess it forces me to be more resourceful in this approach.

I wouldn’t say my analysis is a complaint as much as an observation. The easier digital photography becomes, at least at my level, the more complicated it can become. I say “my level” as opposed to simple point-n-shoot photographers than only want to record an event for their album or website. Digital photography is certainly a boon for their needs with easy camera/software automation. For the pro or advanced amateur with more equipment and software I think this is more of an issue.