Advanced Photography Course

Utility Programs

Utility programs perform tasks, such as sorting,

merging, and transferring data, from one I/O device to
another. They may be separate programs, or they may
be included in an operating system to help the user
perform these tasks. Text editors may also be included
in an operating system so the user can enter, add, delete,
or change program statements; debug routines may also
be included to help the user locate errors.

APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE

Applications are those particular programs

designed to solve individual user problems. These
programs can be written by you, the user of a computer
system, developed by a central design agency, or they
can be purchased from a software firm. Numerous
types of applications programs are written. They range

from games to word processing and electronic imaging.

ELECTRONIC IMAGE

When discussing electronic images, you must

become familiar with the term pixel. The word

pixel

means picture element. A pixel is the smallest picture
element that a peripheral device can display on screen.
It is these individual elements that construct the image.
The quality of an electronic image is determined by the
pixels of the image--the more pixels per image, the
greater the quality of the photograph.

A pixel is not an absolute unit, such as a millimeter.

A pixel depends on other factors to determine its
resolution. The image resolution depends on the
number of pixels in a specific area. For example, a

1/2-inch square area containing 270,000 pixels has

better resolution than a 1-inch area having the same
number of pixels. However, resolution is not based
solely on the number of pixels.

The resolution of electronic images depends on the

size and the total number of individual pixels used to
depict a single image. Each pixel can contain only one
color or shade of gray. The smaller the pixels (more
pixels per image), the closer the image can be viewed
before the individual pixels are seen. Likewise, larger
pixels may be objectionable. By increasing the number
of pixels, you obtain finer detail.

When thinking in terms of resolution, you cannot

compare pixels to the grain in film. Film resolution is
not directly comparable to electronic-imaging
resolution. Additionally, different types of imaging

hardware use different types of measurements. For
example, some equipment describes resolution in pixels
and other equipment describes resolution in dots per
inch (dpi). Pixels and dpi are not directly related or
interchangeable.

Another problem in terms of resolution is there are

no established conversion standards for images

captured on different forms. An example where
nonstandardization may present a problem is when
comparing images from an analog camera to the
products from a digital camera or the image output from
an electronic printer or a film recorder.

ELECTRONIC-IMAGING

WORKSTATION

Electronic imaging involves more than simply

taking a photograph with an electronic camera. Like
conventional photography, exposing the film is not
enough. After the image is captured on film, it must be
processed before the image can be viewed as a positive
transparency or as a negative image that must later be
printed to provide a useable positive image.

Images that are generated electronically must also

be processed, but the methods to make the image visible
and useable are completely different. On an
electronic-imaging workstation, your "darkroom" is a
computer system. To operate an electronic-imaging
workstation, you must have both hardware and
software. There are basically five components in an

electronic-imaging system; they are the following:
some type of input, a computer platform and software,
display, storage, and hardcopy output (fig. 3-3).

Figure 3-3.--Five basic components to an electronic-imaging

system.

3-7

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Advanced Photography Course

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DOFMaster for Windows On-line Depth of Field Calculator DOFMaster for Mobile Devices On-line Depth of Field Table Hyperfocal Distance Chart Articles FAQ Recommended Books Support Contact Links Home As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.	contents <- previous page next page -> Utility Programs Utility programs perform tasks, such as sorting, merging, and transferring data, from one I/O device to another. They may be separate programs, or they may be included in an operating system to help the user perform these tasks. Text editors may also be included in an operating system so the user can enter, add, delete, or change program statements; debug routines may also be included to help the user locate errors. APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE Applications are those particular programs designed to solve individual user problems. These programs can be written by you, the user of a computer system, developed by a central design agency, or they can be purchased from a software firm. Numerous types of applications programs are written. They range from games to word processing and electronic imaging. ELECTRONIC IMAGE When discussing electronic images, you must become familiar with the term pixel. The word pixel means picture element. A pixel is the smallest picture element that a peripheral device can display on screen. It is these individual elements that construct the image. The quality of an electronic image is determined by the pixels of the image--the more pixels per image, the greater the quality of the photograph. A pixel is not an absolute unit, such as a millimeter. A pixel depends on other factors to determine its resolution. The image resolution depends on the number of pixels in a specific area. For example, a 1/2-inch square area containing 270,000 pixels has better resolution than a 1-inch area having the same number of pixels. However, resolution is not based solely on the number of pixels. The resolution of electronic images depends on the size and the total number of individual pixels used to depict a single image. Each pixel can contain only one color or shade of gray. The smaller the pixels (more pixels per image), the closer the image can be viewed before the individual pixels are seen. Likewise, larger pixels may be objectionable. By increasing the number of pixels, you obtain finer detail. When thinking in terms of resolution, you cannot compare pixels to the grain in film. Film resolution is not directly comparable to electronic-imaging resolution. Additionally, different types of imaging hardware use different types of measurements. For example, some equipment describes resolution in pixels and other equipment describes resolution in dots per inch (dpi). Pixels and dpi are not directly related or interchangeable. Another problem in terms of resolution is there are no established conversion standards for images captured on different forms. An example where nonstandardization may present a problem is when comparing images from an analog camera to the products from a digital camera or the image output from an electronic printer or a film recorder. ELECTRONIC-IMAGING WORKSTATION Electronic imaging involves more than simply taking a photograph with an electronic camera. Like conventional photography, exposing the film is not enough. After the image is captured on film, it must be processed before the image can be viewed as a positive transparency or as a negative image that must later be printed to provide a useable positive image. Images that are generated electronically must also be processed, but the methods to make the image visible and useable are completely different. On an electronic-imaging workstation, your "darkroom" is a computer system. To operate an electronic-imaging workstation, you must have both hardware and software. There are basically five components in an electronic-imaging system; they are the following: some type of input, a computer platform and software, display, storage, and hardcopy output (fig. 3-3). Figure 3-3.--Five basic components to an electronic-imaging system. 3-7 contents Advanced Photography Course <- previous page next page ->	As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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