After reading and experimenting with digitization, I have learned many facts that dictate what can and can not be captured. Several aspects can be captured when using photography and images for digitization. First, if the item contains text, images can portray this to the viewer. Also, color can be captured through photography. Images convey an object’s two-dimensional aspects, showing the viewer a flattened view of the item.  In terms of video recording, other elements can be captured, such as the object’s sound and every side of the object. While this does not convey the full three-dimensional view of the object, it does give an understanding of all sides. Audio recordings can also capture the object’s sound without viewing it visually. While several aspects can be captured through digitization, several can not, as shown by the various activities. The first is texture; you can not physically feel an object in the digital form, so you can not determine its texture. Besides this,  digitization can not convey the smell of the object; it is impossible to decide on the scent through a digital platform. Finally, based on the kitchen photos and videos taken throughout this module, size is also tough to determine when digitizing. Size is primarily determined based on the objects in the photograph, which can be altered by zooming in or out. Therefore, digitization using images and videos can convey aspects such as color, dimensions for the most part, and sound. In contrast, these media platforms can not portray texture, smell, or accurate size.

What forms of digitization make sense with certain items indeed varies item by item. For documents or items, including text, photography makes the most sense. To be even more specific, optical character recognition (OCR) can be used to extract text from the book, manuscript, journal, or diary using the captured image of the text. Photography is also useful in digitizing paintings or drawings as these two-dimensional items are portrayed as such. Audio recording is the perfect form of digitization for oral histories, sound recordings, and music. Video captures not only the many sides of various objects but it can capture the sound with an image. Videography also captures the movement of fluid items, such as older films, performances, and oversized items that can not be wholly captured in photographs. Thus, different items require different forms of digitization based on several factors, which will portray the item the closest to its original form.

Based on the reading by Paul Conway and Melissa Terras, when working with digitized representations, one must consider several aspects, changing the perspectives of the items. The person must make several judgments when digitizing an item, as Conway portrays. First, should the item be portrayed in its original state with imperfections and in the original scene? Or should it be portrayed based on the photographer’s intent? As Terras shows, the digitization process is not only expensive and labor intensive but is also highly curated to social and political factors, which brings into question diversity.  Thus, when the person working with the original material makes the choice they do when digitizing, it creates hurdles for the viewer to determine the accuracy of the item being viewed and whether it can be used for the proposed purpose. What we see in a photo may look one way to us, but viewing the original item is entirely different. Objectivity in digitization is an essential piece that must be understood when using digital resources. Digitization is not merely taking a picture or video of an item. Many considerations are undertaken before and after the process are required throughout the process.