by Guy Lerner
June 12, 2003
This is the first in a series of digital travelogues that I hope to present on this forum in the coming months. I've selected 25 images from a recent trip to Melbourne, Australia, based loosely on the theme of "nature in travel" and representing elements of both. Some of these images capture the wild backcountry that makes Melbourne such a surprisingly rich destination for the naturalist, even if oftentimes it is manifest in "manufactured" environments. I welcome thoughts and comments with regards the travelogue, and any suggestions you may have for future articles in the series.
Footnote: why digital?
While some may argue that digital photography is still in its infancy, there
is little doubt that today's sensor technology rivals some of the best
35mm film stocks available, so good in fact that it's pushing larger-format film
- favoured
by nature and landscape photographers - for market share. The camera I use, a Canon 10D digital SLR
(single lens reflex) is based on the traditional 35mm frame with the
exception of a 6.3 megapixel CMOS imaging sensor. While a direct comparison to
film is always subjective, the prints produced by a digital SLR using technology found in the 10D and similar cameras rival the best prints
produced from the highest-resolution 35mm slide emulsions, at sizes up to 19" x
13" or more. In other words, for gallery-quality prints, the time of the digital SLR camera has
arrived.
Technicalities aside, the real reason I used a digital camera was this: I would not have been able to capture any or all of the photos you'll see here if I was still using a film camera. Why? Because the time it took me to make these photographs - considering I was travelling with my family (read: zero allowance for slow and meticulous photography) - was limited, and therefore I had to make sure all the elements of the photograph were in place (exposure, composition, focus, and did I mention exposure) on the fly. Sure I'd have taken my chances with film, but I'd have also burned up a few dozen rolls in the process. Since my film isn't sponsored, I probably would have given up on some of these opportunities to save what little film I could afford.
Many photographers (of all walks, professionals and hobbyists alike) will find themselves in this situation at one time or another, and will benefit immensely from the speed and accuracy of today's digital cameras. Digital SLRs are by no means as "cheap and affordable" as some pundits will have you believe, considering the price upfront often excludes must-have extras like lenses, batteries and (if you don't own one yet) a high-powered PC and software for post-processing. However, if you shoot and shoot often, just the time saved on developing and scanning prints and slides means the value is there form day one, even before you discount the cost of film.
In developing the travelogue series, I hope to encourage the idea that digital photography is anything but a sidebar to the real thing. In a few years, film will be long resigned to museum halls and family albums, but the art and soul of photography will live on forever.
You'll also find a full review of the camera I used for this travelogue here.
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