Wednesday 13 April 2011

Tutorial Two - Digital Imaging

In this tutorial, I am showing my competency in setting up a tripod and camera and using it to capture 5 photos, which will be uploaded in the next tutorial. The task will then be to upload these photos to a Flickr account, which then be connected to our blog here on blogspot.com.
Some hardware and software that I am familiar with are video cameras, digital cameras, desk top computers, lap top computers, handhelds and camera phones.
There are many examples of digital imaging used to provide information and take digital images. These examples are:

Video cameras

(Digital Video, Personal video, 2009)

A video camera is used for electronic motion picture acquisition. There are two ways that a video camera is primarily used for. The first one is for live television broadcast. The second is used to capture moving images and store them to be broadcasted on television on a later date. This includes video manipualtion and editing. Another way that digital video is being used is to caputre moving image for personal reasons with your own portable device, such as speeches at a birthday party or a family event.

Digital Cameras

(Digital Camera Image, Personal Image, 2010)

A didgital camera is primarily used to capture still photographs. We can see how the 21st century is the advanced technology century, using digital cameras as an example, as most cameras of the 21st century are digital. Digital cameras somewhat replace film cameras, because they can do things that film cameras cannot. Examples of this is that digital cameras can display the images on screen immediately after being captured, it can store thousands of images on the one small memory device and can choose to keep or delete the recorded images at your own will. This has allowed us to quikly and effectively capture images and use them in many different ways.

Web cameras

(Ehow, 1999-2011)

A webcam is essentially a video camera which feeds its images in real time to a computer network. This is called a video link, permitting the computer to act as a video conference station.

Laptops

(Laptoppicker, 2011)

A laptop provides the same technology services as a desktop computer, but is known for its mobile use and its compactibility. It is essentially a display screen, keyboard, a pointing device and speakers in a single unit. The main upside of a laptop is its portability. Portability means that a laptop can be used in many places; not only at home and at the office, but also during commuting and flights, in coffee shops, in lecture halls and libraries, at clients' location or at a meeting room, etc.

Camera phones

(Slipperybrick, 2011)

A camera phone is a mobile phone which is able to capture either still photographs or videos. This has only recently become available, and is another example of the advancment of technology in the 21st century. The downside to camera phones in comparison to digital cameras is that their fixed focus lenses and smaller sensors limit the performance and quality of the photo.

 "A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature"
I think there is truth to this quote, simply because there are definite upsides and downsides to new technology. The technology available in terms of digital imaging, allows us take thousands of photos on one smal device, look at them straight after being taken, delete or keep at will, upload in a matter of seconds and manipulate. Whereas with the old technology, we would have to take a few photographs, print them in order to see how they turned out, and then store into albums as an example. A downside to the new technology, is that we don't build this attachment to the photographs we have taken, because its so quick and easy and we no longer have to have them in an album in order to view them. Now a days, we can just upload them to a social networking site for everyone we know to view and because of this, it becomes easy to forget about them.

There are many ethical issues that can arise from digital imaging because we now have the ability to take thousands of photos, but we don't necessarily know who is in the photos. If taking pictures in public, we may accidentally snap photos of strangers, and if we were to upload them onto the internet without the persons permission, they may not want their photograph on the net. An example of this is when Google maps snapped images for their mapping system without seeing if there was anybody in the picture first, and ended up with a photo(s) that not everyone would like to see, which invaded someones privacy.


This video shows a lady falling down an escalator, filmed by somebody at the airport and uploaded to youtube for everyone to view. I know that if it were me, I wouldn't want this posted on the internet as it would be very embarassing, and couldv'e seriously been injuring. This shows that ethical issues need to be considered in terms of digital imaging as not everything should be uploaded for public viewing and permission should be asked for.

Digital imaging can be a very useful tool for Occupational Therapists as it can help us to teach or facilitate ideas to clients. It can be a very good learning tool, as well as help us as OT's to keep track of our client's progress with their treatment. An example of using digital imaging as a learning tool, is by taking snapshots of putting an intervention technique into practise and giving it to the client to refer to when practising this techniques. Such as how to use a dressing stick to safely and effectively put on a coat for someone with haemoplegia. Another way is to video a techinique for the client to refer to. This shows how OT's can use digital imaging to their benefit in their practise.

References

Ehow. (1999-2011). Web camera. Retrieved 3rd March, 2011, from http://i.ehow.com/images/a04/k3/c3/use-hp-mini-web-camera-800X800.jpg

Laptoppicker. (2011). Laptop Archives. Retrieved 3rd March, 2011, from http://www.laptoppicker.com/archives/hp-pavilion-dv2-laptop.jpg

Slipperybrick. (2011). Cellphone Gadgets. Retrieved 3rd March, 2011, from http://www.slipperybrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/samsung-pixon-m8800.jpg