Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Digital Imaging
Essentials
Before you open your first image in Adobe Photoshop, it's very
important that you understand how a digital image is built. Know-
ing how computers represent your digital image data is essential
to your career. Being a “technical” person will not make you more
creative, but it will make you faster and more confident. Let's take
a quick look at what a working professional must understand.
video 1:
Pixels in Depth
When it comes to digital cameras, most photographers
(and salespeople) seem obsessed with megapixels—
because “everybody knows” that having more pixels
means better images (it doesn't by the way). What's
lacking in all this hoopla is a clear understanding of
what pixels are and just how many of them you need.
The more pixels you have, the more RAM you'll need
to open the images and the more hard drive space to
store them all. So it's in your best interest to under-
stand some of the technology behind the images you
want to capture, manipulate, output, and store.
In the Beginning…
Essentially, computers, cameras, and video devices use pixels to
express image information. Each pixel is a small square of cap-
tured light. The pixel is the smallest portion of an image that a
computer is capable of displaying or printing. Too few pixels and
an image will appear “blocky” because there is not enough detail
to work with. Too many pixels and the computer or output device
slows down because it has to process more information.
