Photography: The Basics
By: Colin Hartness
 Photography
comes from the Greek words meaning “light writing”
and first became known back in 1839 by Sir John
Herschel. For many years prior to this, people had
discovered ways of causing certain chemicals to
change color when exposed to light but they did not
discover ways of getting the images to remain
permanent until later on.
Now photography is a big part
of our culture, something that everyone recognizes.
Most everyone has family photos lying around their
house, many people take these photos on a regular
basis, preserving precious memories for years to
come. Even if you don’t have your own camera, you
have seen photos in magazines, used on billboards
and advertisements and more.
What is Photography?
Photography is defined as “The
art or process of producing images by the action of
light on surfaces sensitized by chemical processes.”
(www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/ArtsEd/vglossar.htm)
The average person never has to
deal with this technical definition because they
take their photographs to a lab to be processed.
They simply take pictures with their camera and then
drop them off somewhere to be developed. They get
their prints back on nice glossy paper that they can
then keep to see the images at any time they wish.
There are also instant develop
photographs, commonly known as the Polaroid, in
which the paper itself contains the chemicals needed
and when the paper sits for a few seconds exposed to
light the photo will develop. Many people enjoy
these because you could view your photo almost
instantly but over the years, the quality has
improved with other films and many people migrated
to other types of cameras.
The common types of film are
35mm and 110. These film rolls come in different
speeds that are meant for different lighting and
situations and are loaded into your camera, used
until the end of the roll and then sent for
developing.
 What
Are the Different Types of Photography?
Photography is more than just a
fabric of the average family’s memories, it has
become an art form taking on many different types.
Some types of photography are artistic photography,
photojournalism, documentary photography, portrait
photography, event photography, family photography,
nature photography, advertising photography,
underwater photography, satellite photography and
more. Each of these types has many different
directions in which they can go.
Photography is a common hobby
or pastime for many people. It is a career for many
other people. There are so many different venues of
it. One of the most recent revelations in
photography is the digital camera and digital photo.
In an age of computers and computer technology,
digital photos have become increasingly popular.
People no longer have to deal with film and
developing because digital photos can be downloaded
onto a computer and viewed instantly.
Digital photos can be shared on
the web and through email. They can also be saved on
CDs. Many digital cameras come with LCD screens so
the photos can be viewed from the camera itself. You
see what the picture looks like instantly instead of
waiting for developing. Digital cameras are
advancing every day and new technology is released
on each one. Lower quality ones can be picked up at
a local retail store for about $15 now. These often
do not contain flash and the quality is not as
great. Other digital cameras can range anywhere from
$20 to $1,000. The most high-tech camera for normal
individual use is about $200. This may seem like a
lot but when compared to the price of film and
developing, you can save a lot by going this route.
You can also send as many copies of your photos as
you wish through email and the web so copies are
unlimited. You can even print copies of your digital
photographs from your computer.
Photography has come a long way
since its early days but its popularity has not
waned. It will likely be with us for thousands of
years to come.
About The Author
Looking for information about
Photography?
Go to:
http://www.asaphotography.com
'ASA Photography' is published by Colin Hartness -
An excellent resource for Photography!
Check out more Photography articles at:
http://www.asaphotography.com/archive |
