Digital Imaging

Digital Imaging encompasses the processes of altering images, whether they be digital photographs, traditional analog photographs, or illustrations. Before digital scanners and cameras became mainstream, traditional analog image editing was known as photo retouching, using tools such as an airbrush to modify photographs, or editing illustrations with any traditional art medium. However, since the advent of digital images, analog image editing has become largely obsolete. Graphic software programs, which can be broadly grouped into vector graphics editors, raster graphics editors, and 3D modelers, are the primary tools with which a user may manipulate, enhance, and transform images. Many image editing programs are also used to render or create computer art from scratch.

What can you do with Digital Imaging?
In terms of its versatility, there is very little that can't be achieved digitally with an image. Here are some common examples:



Cropping

Digital editors are used to crop images. Cropping creates a new image by removing a desired rectangular portion from the image being cropped. The unwanted part of the image is discarded. Image cropping does not reduce the resolution of the area cropped. Best results are obtained when the original image has a high resolution. A primary reason for cropping is to improve the image composition in the new image.


Removing unwanted elements

Most image editors can be used to remove unwanted features, using a "clone" tool. Removing these distracting elements draws focus to the subject, improving overall composition. Notice in the image above, the branches which hang down in the left image have been carefully removed (right).


Selective colour changes

Some image editors have color swapping abilities to selectively change the color of specific items in an image, given that the selected items are within a specific color range. More advanced users will build selection masks and use image layers to achieve the best results.


Colour correction & editing

The color of images can be altered in a variety of ways. Colors can be faded in and out, and tones can be changed using curves or other tools. The color balance can be improved, which is important if the picture was shot indoors with daylight film, or shot on a camera with an incorrectly adjusted white balance. Special effects, like sepia and grayscale can be added to an image. In addition, more complicated procedures such as the mixing of color channels are possible using more advanced graphics editors.


Composite Imaging

Composite Imaging is a process whereby several different source images are merged and manipulated in order to create a type of "digital collage". The technique is very common on book covers, movie posters, advertising, and other creative media. The image above was generated using six different images which were carefully manipulated and blended to create the poster.


Special Effects

The sheer number of "special effects" that can be achieved in digital imaging is staggering. These effects can be used to make a photo look like a painting, alter the atmospheric conditions of an image, render special lighting and shadows into an image, distort elements of an image, and generate artificial motion blurs. There are many more effects that can be achieved.


Restoration

Old or damaged photos can often be repaired and restored digitally. Sometimes the damage may be too extensive even for the most experienced image expert, but if the damage is fairly moderate then it can usually be restored to an "almost new" condition.


Manipulation