Tutorial Two: Digital Imaging

How are images stored, transferred and manipulated?

• Images can be stored on hard drives, memory sticks or memory cards, such as SD cards for digital cameras. 
• They can be transferred onto CD's and up loaded to other computers or sent via email to people around the world.

• Images can be manipulated with features on the camera itself such as zoom, red eye, brightness and contrast to name a few. There is also software called 'photo shop' which i have no knowledge of but you may hear people talk of it when they pick up a magazine and comment on how perfect and blemish-less the celebrate on the cover page looks. 

Here are some examples of digital imaging that provide information and recording.

• News Reporting - Real time footage of the Christchurch earth quake is a perfect example of this. People in the streets when the earth quake hit captured the event on their cellphones and then sent the information to news stations who could then broad cast the information on television. click here for example.
• Family photos and videos - Communication technology helps families keep in touch because they are able to send and receive digital images anywhere around the world at anytime.
• Crime scene photography - Police photograph crime scenes to preserve evidence and to help detect evidence which might have been missed at the actual scene of the crime. This is then used against the accused in trials. 

"A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature"
In relation to digital imaging is this statement true?

No - Norman Koren (2005) did an experiment that compared digital and film cameras which clearly showed that a digital camera with 11 megapixel or higher could out perform a 35mm SLR film camera.

What are some ethical issues of capturing images?

• Invasion of privacy: The Google earth street view saga is a great example of this. "There is a serious tension here, between the concepts of free speech, and open information, and the idea of privacy," says Kevin Bankston, staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation." There's definitely a privacy concern that an unmarked Google camera van can, and in fact has, captured images of people, whether in the street or in their homes, in a manner that could be embarrassing or even dangerous to them." He adds: "We don't think what Google's done here is necessarily illegal, though a few images may cross the line and may create liability. It's more that they've done something that's really irresponsible and rude to people" (Snyder, 2007) Read more here
• False representation: an image can be changed to represent what the person wants it to represent. "Scientists are usually considered to be respected sources of information and there is the understanding within the scientific community that data must not be inappropriately manipulated or falsified" (The university of Arizona, n.d.).

How can digital imaging be used in Occupational Therapy?

"Information and communication technologies, such as online shopping, instant messaging, digital photography, computer games and mobile phones, are becoming everyday meaningful occupations for occupational therapy clients. Thus making then potential occupational therapy tools" ( Verdonck, M. C., Ryan, S. 2008). Read more here

Reference list

Norman Koren Photography page. (2005). Digital cameras vs. film, part 1. Retrieved March 7, 2011, from http://www.normankoren.com/Tutorials/MTF7.html 

Snyder, J., S. (2007). Google maps: an invasion of privacy. Retrieved March 7, 2011, from http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1631957-1,00.html#ixzz1FrlZumHL

The university of Arizona. (n.d.). Digital imaging: Ethics. Retrieved March 7, 2011, from 
http://swehsc.pharmacy.arizona.edu/exppath/micro/digimage_ethics.php 

Verdonck, M. C., Ryan, S. (2008) Mainstream Technology as an occupational therapy tool: Technophobe or Technogeek?. British journal of occupational therapy, 71(6), 253-256.