"Digital photography has changed not only the magazine’s workflow but also its visual aesthetic, says Geoff Michaud. "There’s a different quality expectation with digital vs. film. With film, grain was accepted and tolerated. It was a by-product of sharpness. When we moved to digital we found that the expectation changed. I’m not 100% sure why. Now a softer feel image [is considered good], and when noise becomes apparent it’s a negative thing, where it wasn’t with film. I’m concerned with my operators now that because noise or grain has become a negative thing, sometimes they’re holding off on sharpening. [Sometimes] I look at images, and I feel they’re not quite sharp enough." That said, Michaud adds, "I think [the magazine] looks better now, but maybe that’s because my expectations about what looks good have changed.""
