For years, photography aficionados have attempted to rebuff the ever growing influx of the digital age. Even today, many who consider themselves true photographers prefer manual cameras with traditional film. Yet an increasing number of artists have realized that the new technology of today can not only be used effectively for practical purposes, but can be used to create art in a new way, a way that would not be available but for our digital age.

Of course, artistic digital photography, like traditional photographic art, takes a special kind of camera. That is not to say that amateurs cannot create art with a standard point and shoot digital camera, but rather, that those who are serious about digital photography as an art form prefer a specific type of camera: the digital single-lens reflex or dSLR. A dSLR is really nothing more than a duplication of the traditional manual version, the SLR. It operates on the same principles, with one obvious difference: a SLR would have film; whereas a dSLR has what is called an image sensor called a CCD or CMOS.

But what makes dSLR's and SLR's different from other cameras in general? Well, a traditional camera makes use of an off axis viewfinder (mounted above or to the side of the actual image the lens "sees") that can distort the image you see and want to capture, creating what is called "parallax". With an SLR, this is remedied by using an internal prism to project the same image seen in the lens up and onto the viewfinder, by passing the parallax distortion that occurs in other cameras.

Since artists have generally preferred the accuracy of SLR's, the inception and growing adoption of their digital counterparts has made artistic digital photography spark from an ember to a roaring bonfire of popularity. Because of the manual functionality inherent in most models and the speed, a dSLR camera is preferred by many over a digital camera. Enough with the technical banter. Put simply, as digital cameras swiftly become faster and allow higher resolution, their following in the artistic world grows. In fact, at this point in time, digital cameras are even beginning to surpass their manual predecessors, something that some traditional photographers can scarcely believe to be true.

Of course, digital photography does have its downsides when compared to traditional film, but it also has its perks. The digital side actually has greater technological advantages than what many believe. With digital image filters, special processors and incredibly powerful computer based editing tools, an artist can truly make pixels come alive in a whole new way with digital photography. With traditional film, an artist must spend hours in a darkroom, processing film and mixing chemicals in order to turn out the print that they are looking for.

With digital film editing tools, the need for the complex development process is all but gone: a digital photographer need only upload his images to a computer and he is then free to edit them to his hearts content: complex processes such as cropping, light filters, rotating, highlighting, color spectrum adjustments, and layering can all be done with the click of a mouse.

Whether you are an amateur photographer who wants to make the most of their hobby or a professional artist who needs control, speed and accuracy as well as editing ability, artistic digital photography can turn simple images on an internal processor into stunning, compelling art. So what are you waiting for? Get that freedom and power from digital photography and start creating the art that you've always wanted.