Photography is one of the best methods for capturing digital heritage. When we think of photography we picture a professional camera setup but nowadays we are all versed taking photos and sharing them with family, friends and the wider world.
With a smartphone you are already equipped to capture and share your cultural and natural heritage. There are various ways to share photography and online platforms for hosting collections from Facebook to Flickr.
Further to taking photos, heritage collections can also consist of old photos and images that we find or are passed between generations. These can be scanned or captured to save and share via online platforms, bringing them to a global audience.
There are a range of options for photography from smart phones to high-end SLRs.
Most mobile devices will have a camera that is capable of capturing high quality images with the right settings and conditions.
Mid range standalone cameras with attached lens will be capable of capturing better quality with zoom functionality and adjustable settings.
For hobbyist to professional it is common to use an SLR camera. This is the professional camera level with detachable lens and full frame image.
Editing your photographs or scans may be required to enhance colours, crop or amend the image.
The industry standard editing software used by many professionals is a combination of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. These applications require and ongoing fee and only advisable for hobbyist, or professional.
The most popular free alternative is GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program).
GIMP has similar features to Photoshop but is free for use.
We live in a world of visual images with many options available. Social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are very effective to share images with an audience.
For hosting a heritage collection is it often desirable to maintain a collection such as a museum or organisation would do for archival purposes.
There are many free platforms that will allow users to upload and host their image collections.
Flickr is one such site that offers free image collection hosting.
CINE Donegal Heritage Collection