Forecasts
predictions for the cutting edge
Filmless photography is Here to Stay.
Trudy Levy
Image Integration
Last month we discussed the three major directions of digital technology development:
- Asset management
- Filmless technology
- Easy Access
In particular we explored Asset management and its ultimate application an evolving, individualized catalog. This month we will seek the ultimate need to be served in filmless technology, but there are so many, it is hard to pick just one.
For example, today on a national TV talk show, I heard a piece which demonstrated three areas of future development in the filmless technology for photography - preservation, access and manipulation. A Photojournalist, who was touting his coffee table book of September 11, said that he was intent on capturing history, which he is preserving(preservation) by publishing the images in a book (access). He noted that since the original image was digital, the lab had been able to enlarge (manipulate) one photo of the building imploding and noticed that there was a person clinging to the falling debris. This was not something that he had seen or could have seen with the human eye, but his camera had caught.
So, how are you and the rest of the world preserving your image history? While digital information may exist forever, the ability to read it has relatively a very short live span. Either the storage device will become corrupt or become obsolete or the format will no longer be "serviced" by current programs. Anyone tried to buy a needle for their turntable lately? Anyone have a turntable (record player)?
Ironic isn't that, for many, the safest storage device for digital images is printed material. Many are developing technology to fulfill this need. Some are developing archival products such as nonfading inks while others are developing easy photo printers which you can connect directly to your camera.. Hmmm anyone remember Polaroid? Of course, Polaroid was not archival.
For those who want to maintain their images in the digital format, the mantra among digital preservationists is "migration". The tool they are looking for is one which will migrate files through new mediums, file formats and readers efficiently so that the digital information remains accessible. While we are waiting for the development of this tool, firms are offering remote storage and library systems where they maintain your images in an accessible manner, sometimes in two locations. Don't forget the old mantra of all computer hacks " to back up" and hopefully in another location. Or you can license the use of a third party's images and leave the preservation to them.
Preservation of course means you can access images or view them. Viewing images as printed is still probably the most favorite, both because of portability and convention, but luring people to view electronically is opening many areas of exploration. There is the development of new objects which project or display the images such as digital photo frames, wall mounted LCD panels, small data projectors and interactive white boards. There is the software development which turns everyone into a professional photographer, or illustrator or printer making cards, movies, albums, or etc. But the big area which offers the most potential is the imaging display technologies.
Display technologies are developing ways to compress files, to enlarge files, to manage color, to encrypt images, and to create dynamic shows. These developments will impact the display of images and is where I would place my interest. The more control we can have over the viewed display of our images the more benefits that we can gain by the third direction of digital technology development: Easy Access and the resulting collaboration.
More on that next month.
11/2/01
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Integration
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