Digital for Dummies

For the do-it-yourselfers, pros and semi pros, digital photography has eliminated much of the hassle associated with film, like storage and disposal problems, related to wet chemistry and sensitized materials—to say nothing of the need for a darkroom. The down side of course is the expense of those high-end cameras, computers, printers and software programs that seem to need continual updating.  It has also created thousands of competitors for the pros in the guise of friends and neighbors who can afford those high-priced toys and get reasonably good images that are sharp and colorful.  Unfortunately, to the uninitiated they all look the same.  Uncle Bob may be able to get a decent exposure, but that's a long way from actually being a photographer.