Photography becomes meaningful when one expresses their photographic journey just like a flowing river. Similar to a river that flows in search of fresh-water, Photography is a journey of finding new things. The answer to “what is photography?” is different for each individual.

Photographs of one’s unforgettable experiences, the sights, the sorrowful moments and the happy memories of one’s life, would particularly discover the greatness of the photography art as one sees it all at the end of the journey.

Introduction to Photography

Photography is like a painting where an image is first created in the mind of an artist and then portrayed onto the frame. It is also enjoyed by an artist called the photographer as well as the viewer.

For a photographer, photography is successful when their image communicates to their viewers without losing the meaning and passion in it. Especially in such a situation, it makes sense of making money out of it.

Photography is a visual language certainly understood by all. Moreover it is beyond any literal language, region, gender, etc… It is a great tool that preserves the present and creates history. It is hardly any other medium that can be understood by anyone without using any worldly language. As a result Photography is a language with visual treat and pleasure.

Photographs can tell the story of a particular person, place, or thing. But if you don’t specify what the pictures are, then the viewer may create their own stories. With so many pictures to describe what photography is, it is very difficult to state the definition of photography.

Meaning of Photography

Sir John Herschel acquired the word photography in the year 1839. The term photography is based on the Greek words, φῶς (phos), which symbolize “light,” and γραφή (graphê) which means “writing or drawing”. Hence photography means “drawing with light”.

Drawing vs Photography: What’s The Difference?

Let us Visualize a drawing?

A picture or diagram is made with a pencil, pen, or crayon rather than paint.

Let us Visualize a Photography?

Capturing a subject in a camera while using an image sensor to convert an optical image into an electronic signal by a photographer.

The major change from drawing to photography is “The tool is changing from brush to camera”

What Makes Great Photo?

What factors do you consider in taking a worthy photograph?

1. Photographer
2. Subject
3. Light
4. Camera
5. Composition

Photographer

A photographer is a person who especially records images with a camera.

In other words, a photographer is a person who enjoys the beauty of the universe, the fullness of life, and skillfully captures the moments with precision.

Photographers capture images regardless of their age or gender, Sometimes male photographers are called “photographers” and female photographers are particularly known as “lady photographers”.

The person who captures images is known as a “still photographer”, and in a commercial context the one who records the moving images is known as “Cinematographer, videographer or as a camera operator”.

Subject

Subjects can be varied on, Especially interests, locations, cultures, people, travels, languages, person, place, object, subject, or a scene.

Light

Drawing with Light

photography means drawing with light

can we draw without light?

Think there is no light.
Is it possible to capture an image?

Sun Light

Light from the sun.

The main source of light can be controlled by a photographer or cinematographer especially through reflecting, diffusing, and blocking the sun’s rays.

Artificial Light

Light form Incandescent, Fluorescent tube and LED’s

Any light source that is specifically produced by electrical means, In this case which is controlled by a photographer or cinematographer to light up the subject.

Studio Light

Light from studio strobes and flashes.

The light is used for the studio and outdoors. It can be a strobe, flash, or continuous light. As a result these lights are used specifically outdoors and indoor for mimicking the sun.

Camera

Tool to Capture

DSLR CAMERA

Full Frame | Half Frame

MIRRORLESS CAMERA

Full Frame | Half Frame

Buying a newly launched, better, or more expensive camera does not mean that a person might become a professional photographer, Particularly Which does not mean that one cannot create good images from a cheaper camera.

Owning a DSLR doesn’t make a great photographer, However, it is quite possible a child could take better photos using a point and shoot camera, Despite some people having an innate ability to take good pictures, It enables them to take great photographs with less effort, In short none of these makes us greater than others.

Composition

Frame your Subject

The term “composition” applies to any other art form such as painting, music, dance, or literature, A well-composed photograph allows the audience to understand the message conveyed by the artist. There are many traditional rules of composition, But the artist is always free to change or transform them to express his/her point of view in their work in the best possible way they can.

What is Composition in Photography?

A good image is a combination of many elements such as aperture, focal length, focus, and angle, Similarly colors, shapes, shadows, tones, and highlights are also very powerful elements of composition. An experienced photographer will certainly use all available means to achieve the desired result.
Sometimes we cannot deny the role of foreground focus or background focus unless it makes a great impact on the overall composition of the image.

Our experience especially enables us to create great images.
A photographer has to make his/her decision thus it is the best way to grow and never doubt our subconscious mind, In fact, but to learn from our mistakes.

Conclusion

Different generations of photography have evolved over the years from film to digital cameras, While Many people photograph their life to see what their past good memories were. A great photographer must have patience and practice photography moreover it can’t be studied from a book or web. Since Photography is a form of art where the photographer can decide what to do with the camera.

Here the light is the main ingredient above all for getting a photograph. Since a great photo comes from the heart, not from the camera. In case any person who has a will to study photography and wants to become a great photographer has to come over many obstacles over time. So that the perfect recipe for getting a great photograph is the photographer, subject, light, camera, and composition. However photography has a wide variety of types according to the character of the person, one can choose what they want. Besides photography is an art that you can express through your frames as writers express through their writings in their books.