An Archivist's Introduction to Digital Image Science

Presenter: Charles Poynton

Image archivists are faced with a bewildering array of digital image capture, storage, and display devices. The characteristics of these devices have a strong influence on image quality, but it is often unclear to the archivist how to choose among competing devices, and what parameters to use for capture, duplication, storage, or display of particular kinds of imagery.

In this tutorial, we will present the fundamental aspects of image science as it applies to digital continuous-tone imagery (both still and moving). We will explain how tone, color, and detail are represented in the digital domain. Will explain the importance of the nonlinear coding of lightness in digital image systems, and outline the foundations of accurate reproduction of color. We will explain of the capture, storage, and display of spatial detail, culminating by explaining why sharp images are not always good and blurry images are not always bad. Upon the completion of the tutorial, you will be able to estimate how many megabytes (or megabytes per second) are required to represent imagery at a given quality level.

Registration

This tutorial is available to any JTS2004 attendee. Registration information is available at the JTS2004 site.

Charles Poynton - Courses & seminars
2004-03-29