Physics is fundamental to all aspects of digital photography. This book works through the photographic imaging chain starting from the physics of image capture and the physics underlying the nature of the captured camera raw data, through to the conversion of the raw data into a viewable digital image. This book shows how knowledge of the underlying physics can be used by a photographer or imaging scientist to maximise the technical quality of the output image.

With the increasing use of digital cameras in a research environment, this book provides an invaluable insight into the connections between imaging science and photographic practice. The material is divided into five chapters covering photographic optics, digital output and exposure strategy, raw data model, raw conversion and camera image quality.

In addition to an academic readership, this book will be of interest to photographers who have a graduate-level technical background and want to gain a better understanding of the technical aspects of digital photography. In this updated and expanded new edition, the material has been reorganised and extensively rewritten. New material has been added and figures have been enhanced.

D A Rowlands obtained a first-class degree in mathematics and physics and a PhD in physics from The University of Warwick, UK, and has held research positions at the University of Bristol, UK, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA, Tongji University, China, and the University of Cambridge, UK. An extensive knowledge of the theory of digital photography along with practical experience as a freelance photographer puts the author in a unique position to develop this text.

Preface

About the Author

Abbreviations

1 Photographic Optics

2 Digital Output and Exposure Strategy

3 Raw Data Model

4 Raw Conversion

5 Camera Image Quality