Now it is important to distinguish the graininess of analog photography from the visual interference characteristic of digital capture. Analog grain has an organic quality while digital noise from using high ISO sensitivities does not achieve the same goal and actually ruins the photograph without adding an aesthetic or expressive layer of meaning due to its regularity. A practical analogy is to think that the grain is like atomized water in an aerosol and the digital noise would be like receiving microice cubes in the same aerosol. Quality comparison at different ISO values between Canon D Mark III cameras and the Nikon.
Today sensor manufacturers have substantially e-commerce photo editing improved sensitivity and reduced digital signal noise even at ISO values of and even unthinkable in analog photography. Today semiprofessional and professional level cameras can reach ISO sensitivities in the order of. It is important to mention that above an ISO value of the image has a loss of chromatic range colors included in the photo as well as chroma noise color or luminance points that were not in the image that photography can be virtually unusable with current sensor technology. However it is possible as has happened during the last fifteen years that technology allows the use of these values with perfectly usable images.
The grain as an expressive resource Mike grain can provide an evocative texture either creating a nostalgic atmosphere or emphasizing the composition in a graphic and strong way. Grainy images were part of a distinctive aesthetic in s street photography due to the use of highspeed blackandwhite film. One of the forerunners in the aesthetic and expressive use of grain was the Swiss Robert Frank who was harshly criticized at the time due to the graininess of some of his photographs published in his work The Americans considered today the book of documentary photography most important of the second half of the century.