Digital darkroom
Digital "darkroom" is the hardware, software and techniques used in digital photography that replace the darkroom equivalents, such as enlarging, cropping, burning and dodging, as well as processes that don't have a film equivalent.
All photographs benefit from being developed. With film this could be done at the print lab, or an inexpensive home darkroom. With digital, many cameras are set up to do basic photo enhancement (contrast, color saturation) immediately after a picture is exposed, and to deliver a finished product. Higher end cameras, however, tend to give a flatter, more neutral image that has more data but less "pop," and needs to be developed in the digital darkroom.
Setting up an analogue (i.e. film) darkroom was primarily an issue of gathering the right chemicals and lighting; a digital darkroom consists of a powerful computer, a high-quality monitor setup (dual monitors are often used) and software. A printer is optional; many photographers still send their images to a professional lab for better results and, in some cases, a better price.
While each implementation is unique, most share several traits: an image editing workstation like Photoshop or The Gimp as the cornerstone, often a database-driven catalogue or asset management system to manage the collection as a whole, a RAW conversion tool, and in many cases the software that came with the camera is used as an automated tool to "upload" photos to the computer. The machine itself is almost always outfitted with as much RAM as possible and a large storage subsystem - big hard drives. RAID and external USB and Firewire drives are popular for storage. Most photographers consider a DVD-burner essential for making long term backups, and keep at least one set off-site.
Software
The software employed in a digital darkroom varies greatly depending on the photographer's needs, budget and skill. The Following are general areas and examples of software.
Image Acquisition: entails downloading images from a camera or removable storage device or importing from a scanner. Windows XP and Windows Vista both include an inbuilt wizard for importing images, including scanning images. Many professionals however may choose a importation tool built into image management software such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture or ACDSee.
Image Library Management: involves manageing images in a photographer's library and may extend to backing up images. Software such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple Aperture are examples of major image management software.
RAW Software: software, either stand alone or as part of image library management software that is designed to import and process RAW images. Most digital cameras capable of outputting RAW images will include a program or plug-in for this purpose such as Canon RAW Image Converter. Library management programs such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple Apperture include extensive support for RAW importation and processing.
Image Editing: There are countless image editing suites, programs and tools available. Adobe Photoshop certainly enjoys wide usage in professional circles as do programs from Apple, Microsoft, Macromedia (now Adobe), ACD and various open source projects. Consumers may use professional software or choose less expensive options such as Adobe Photoshop Elements or free open source options such as The GIMP.
Camera Control Software: software that can remotely control a camera from a computer connected via USB. Normally included as utilities with camera, these allow photographers to control the camera from a nearby computer. Cameras such as the Canon 40D include such software and a live view mode so that a user may use a computer to control numerous functions of the camera while seeing a virtual viewfinder onscreen.
Hardware
As digital image quality increases, so do the requirements for hardware in a digital darkroom.
Computer: A computer in a digital darkroom must have a generous amount of RAM, often 4GB or more coupled with discrete graphics and a powerful multicore processor. For much of the 1980s and 90s, Macs enjoyed a firm hold on the digital imaging market, though Windows machines have gained popularity in recent times. However, Macs remain the preffered choice for professionals given their superior performance with digital imaging applications, with even a consumer grade iMac matching many professional workstations for performance with Adobe Photoshop.[1]. The Apple Mac Pro and Cinema displays enjoy popularity with the digital imaging market.
Display: Digital Cameras and image scanners are increasing in quality, including the amount of colour they can capture and output. Many newer digital cameras can support wider colour spaces such as Adobe RGB and can capture a higher colour depth, 14bit vs the common 12bit. Many displays lack support for the wider colour gamut. Professionals often use premium displays from companies such as EIZO and Apple which are capable of displaying a wider range of colours than consumer oriented devices.
In addition to computers and displays, digital darkrooms will likely include printing equipment, ranging from smaller size printers for proofing to large format productions printers. Scannera and studio photographic equipment may also be included.