Introduction to Photography

Introduction to Photography

Photography is the process of recording visual images by capturing light rays on a light-sensitive recording medium (e.g. film or digital CCD). It can be thought of as two pursuits:

1. Technical: The science of setting up the camera and the recording medium to take images in a controlled way.
2. Creative: The art of composing good images to capture.

There are dozens of different types of photography. Some areas require specialist knowledge (e.g. scientific photography), but almost all photography involves the same basic principles of obtaining a clear, focused image through a lens and onto the recording medium.

There are also many types of camera. Professional photographers like to have a selection of cameras for different purposes. The most popular type of general-purpose camera for taking high-quality images is the single lens reflex (SLR). If you are interested in photography you will probably want to own an SLR camera.

Traditional photography uses film as the recording medium, which is a chemical process. Modern photography is heavily geared towards digital photography, which is an electronic process. In either type of photography the basic process is the same, as illustrated in this (over-simplified) camera diagram:

A critical part of the camera is the optical element, i.e. the lens. The role of the lens is to take incoming light rays and bend them to form a clear image on the recording medium. The structure of the lens determines how much the light is bent and the magnification of the resulting image. To understand photography, you need to understand lenses.

Like all arts, good photography comes with practice. Learn about the camera, learn about picture composition, and practice.

Types of Photography

Photographic work can be divided into dozens of categories, many with lots of sub-categories. The following list describes some common types of photography.

Aerial		From a plane, helicopter, balloon or other airborne device.
Adventure, Action		Adventure sports, daring feats, etc.
Amateur		Any type of photography practiced by non-professionals.
Animal, Pet		Pets and their relationships with humans. Note that the human content is often as important as the animal.
Architecture, Real Estate		The art of making property appear attractive. Often involves panoramic photography.
Artistic		Photography in which creative composition is the goal.
Astrophotography		Space photography, through a telescope.
Aura		A controversial type of photography which some claim can photograph a person's aura. Often confused with Kirlian photography.
Black & White		Not simply photography without colour, black and white photography explores shapes, tones and textures. Shadows and highlights become much more important.
Camera Phone		"Convenience" photography using a mobile phone's built-in camera. While not the best quality, camera phones have opened a new world of spontaneous, on-the-spot photo opportunities.
Commercial		Product shots, advertising, etc.
Digiscoping		Photography through a telescope or binoculars.
Documentary		Journalism, Events, Historical, Political, etc.
Event		Concerts, parties, festivals, weddings, etc.
Forensic		Police and legal photography.
Infrared		Photography in which the recording medium is sensitive to infrared light rather than the normal visible light spectrum.
Large Format		For use on posters, billboards, etc.
Kirlian		A type of contact print photography in which an object touching a photographic plate is connected to a high voltage source, creating an aura-like image. Often confused with aura photography.
Macro		The art of photographing very small and/or close-up objects.
Medical		Specialized photography for clinical purposes, i.e. to help reveal and diagnose illness.
Microscopic		Any technique for photographing objects too small to be visible to humans.
Modeling		Photographing objects to be converted into 3D models.
Nature		Landscapes, animals, plants, sea, etc.
Night		Any technique used to capture images at night. Often includes infrared photography.
Panoramic		Views of wide areas, up to complete 360° panoramas.
Paranormal		Ghosts, unexplained phenomena, etc.
People		Candid, Family, Fashion, Glamour, Passports & Visas, Portrait, Pregnancy, School, Sports, Wedding
Pinhole		Uses the most basic type of camera possible — a box with a tiny hole to let light in.
Scenic		Landscape, Cityscape
Satellite		Views of Earth from orbit.
Scientific		Any specialized photography used for scientific endeavour, e.g. electron microscopy photographs, medical photography, astrophotography, etc.
Sports		The specialized art of shooting people engaged in sports, games and adventure activities.
Stereoscopic (3-D)		Involves taking two photos simultaneously to simulate 3-D vision.
Stock		Photographs taken for distribution to other people, for use in their projects. These photos tend to be quite generic, e.g. people working, landscapes, places, etc.
Time-lapse		Photographs with a very long exposure, used to illustrate something happening over time. A popular example is a street at night with car lights blurred into long lines.
Travel		Photography to showcase locations, illustrate travel literature, etc.
Ultraviolet		Photography in which the recording medium is sensitive to ultraviolet light rather than the normal visible light spectrum.
Urban, Industrial		Emphasizing urban environments.
Water,Underwater		Any type of photography taken under water with a water-tight camera housing.