About Photography

Photography revolutionized the preservation of history. Prior to photography, the only way to record an image was to paint or draw it. Capturing images has gotten easier with the advent of more advanced cameras, but there are several basics that every photographer must understand.

Type

There are three basic types of photography: digital, film and instant. Digital is the overwhelmingly preferred medium as it processes pictures through a computer. Film, which records images on a negative or slide, was the predominant photographic medium until digital became widely available. Instant is often referred to by the brand name "Polaroid." It is self-developing and allows photographers to have a finished print within seconds of taking a picture.

History of

Photographs date back to the 1830s, when French inventors Nicephore Niepce and Louis Daguerre developed a process of exposing light to a mirror-polished silver plate with a coating of silver-halide particles. This process became known as Daguerreotype. Photographic plates were fragile, heavy and expensive. Over the next half-century, improvements were made to the process, including the development of glass plates. The most revolutionary change happened in 1884, when George Eastman invented film technology. It is the same basic process used in modern film cameras.

Evolution

In 1935, color film was introduced, but black and white photography remained dominant. Instant film was introduced in 1963. While many people enjoyed getting their photographs within minutes of taking a picture, the quality was never as good as with film. Instant film never made up more than a small fraction of the photography market. This year, Polaroid, the primary manufacturer, stopped making instant film. That leaves Fujifilm as the only manufacturer. In the 1990s, digital cameras became widely available and quickly replaced film cameras as the preferred photographic medium. Photographers liked the instant feedback of seeing the picture onscreen, the ability to take unlimited pictures at no additional cost, and the ease of editing and manipulating the pictures on a computer.

The Facts

There are four adjustments a photographer can make with their camera: ISO speed, aperture, shutter speed and focus. The ISO is the film speed that produces different effects, depending on conditions. The aperture is the amount of light the camera lets in. The shutter speed is how long the the shutter remains open. The focus is where the image comes into clear view. While all these variable are adjustable, most modern cameras determine them automatically.

Function

The primary light source is a "key light." It must be the brightest light and shine on the front of whatever is photographed. A smaller, secondary light source can define the subject from the background. This is called a "back light." Other light sources remove shadows or highlight specific parts of a photograph. These are called "fill lights" and shine across the photograph. It is also important to understand focal length. Most cameras automatically focus on what it determines is the primary object in the picture. If one object is close and another far, one will be out of focus. If you desire that multiple objects at varying distances all be in focus, you must back up so they are all somewhat far from the camera. Composition is also essential to a good picture. Photographers must decide what they want in the shot and what is unnecessary. When photographing portraits, the person should fill the frame. If it is scenery, then every quadrant of the picture should draw the eye. Photographers must visualize the picture as they take it.

Effects

Photography is a very adaptive medium. You can manipulate pictures by varying light, shadows and camera equipment. Fast shutter speeds freeze action, while slow ones create a blurred effect. Black-and-white photography is popular for its ability to emphasize dark and diminish light parts of a picture. Landscape settings provide a consistent focal length for scenery, while macro settings allow close-ups of small objects. The possibilities in photography are virtually endless.