What Is Photography?

Photography is the art of recording imagery with light. Light enters through the lens of a camera and is recorded on a digital sensor or a film plane. The image is then processed either with chemicals or a computer, and can then be reproduced as a print image. Photography is a documentary process that records people, events and moment in time of the world around us.

Tools

The main tool used in photography is the camera. There are two types of cameras; film based and digital based systems. Both create photographs, or visual documentation of moments in time.

Accessories

External lighting is often used in conjunction with the camera. On camera flash units add extra light to photographs. Free standing studio lighting is used in portrait studios. Tripods help steady the camera for sharp photographs.

Types

From family snapshots to professional portraits, photojournalism in the newspapers or scientific data recordings, there are many applications for photography.

Effects

Photography creates a visual record. This documentation can teach future generations about the past, preserve history and help revive memories.

Identification

Photography can be found in everyday life. On the cover of a magazine, cereal box, in frames on the wall or in school text books, photography presents visual information.