Hobbies And Interests
Digital Cameras
Apple, Kodak, Casio and Sony introduced digital cameras at the consumer level in the mid 1990s. Kodak teamed with Kinkos and Microsoft to promote digital photography to the public. Customers were encouraged to add digital images to their documents or save their photos to CD at kiosks set up for that purpose. The aggressive marketing and teamwork was so effective that today nearly every amateur or professional photographer has a digital camera.
Photo Quality Printers
Hewlett Packard introduced the photo smart printer in 1997. This invention allowed consumers to print professional photos right at home. Further advancements allow printers to accept various sizes of paper. There are also portable models available that can print 4-inch by 6-inch prints straight from a camera.
Photo Editing Software
Programs like Adobe Photoshop and Nova Photo Explosion allow users to import and manipulate digital images. Even a novice photographer can produce professional quality images with little effort. These programs have editing features for lighting and cropping. Color saturation can be changed to black and white or sepia. A skilled user can use the airbrush tool to remove blemishes or even out a tan line.
Scanners
Scanners are another tool that serve digital photography. While the scanner is not capable of taking new images, it allows pictures developed from film to be digitized. Old and tattered photos can take on a new life through digital editing. Priceless heirloom pictures can be scanned, touched up and printed out for new generations to enjoy.