As a young photographer I was blessed with the opportunity to witness, and in a very small way, help shape, a revolution in digital photography. It all started in 1981 with a visit to the home of photographer Ansel Adams in Carmel, California. I was looking to the 80-year-old master for words of wisdom. After talking about traditional printing and shooting techniques, I asked Adams what he would do if he were starting over.

He didn't miss a beat and started telling me about a new technology, mostly pioneered by the space program, with great excitement. The technology converted light into electrical impulses that could be manipulated or transmitted instantly across great distances.

He was inspired by the beautiful landscape images of Jupiter's moon taken by digital cameras onboard the Voyager spacecraft as it sped millions of miles away from the Earth and thought "electronic photography" had great potential.

Not long after visiting Adams I received a press release from the Sony Corporation dated August 24, 1981. It announced the "Revolutionary Video Still Camera Called 'Mavica'," a filmless camera that required no developing. My first thought was, "No more darkroom chemicals!" My fingers were already brown and my lungs ached from years of exposure to the caustic chemicals. This was much more than an environmental issue: It was something extraordinary.

Turns out the cameras were actually still video cameras that produced analog, not digital, images. The first true "digital" camera wasn't introduced to the consumer market until many years later.

In 1991, the Dycam digital camera reached the market. It captured a mere 376x240 pixel resolution in gray scale and was limited in many other ways, but it was quickly followed by improved cameras from other manufacturers.

Digital cameras are now commonplace and outsell traditional film cameras, but the revolution is only starting. Some developments are predictable. Pixel resolution will go up and prices will go down and it will be easier than ever to make beautiful hard-copy prints from digital cameras. But most of the really exciting developments are on the edge of our imaginations. Stay tuned!

Digital camera history sites

• DigiCamHistory (An excellent resource!)
• History of digital cameras
• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (More space photos)
• Fairchild All-Sky Camera (More on the first earth-bound digital camera)

Mikkel Aaland is a photographer and author of "Shooting Digital" and "Photoshop Elements 2 Solutions." Visit his websites, Mikkel Aaland's Cyber-Bohemia and Shooting-Digital.com.

"Shooting Digital: Pro Tips for Taking Great Pictures with Your Digital Camera"

"Photoshop Elements 2 Solutions"