Photography means “drawing with light” and it is an artistic and creative way to visually communicate with the world by capturing moments and memories. In addition, photography expresses an individual’s view of life. There is never an end to developing photography skills and enhancing techniques. This article provides all the information needed to learn about photography including history, type, essential equipment, and basic techniques for taking the best shots.
The First Photograph in the History
“View From the Window At Le Gras” was the first photograph ever taken, captured in 1826 or 1827 in Burgundy, France, using a process called heliography. This process took several hours to complete. Since its invention, photography has dramatically improved in resolution, quality, and techniques. Today, smartphones have allowed instant capture and easy sharing of photographs. (1)
Types of Photography (2)
1. Portrait Photography
Portrait photography is the broadest type of photography, and it captures an individual personality and character. Portrait photos are used for personal, professional, and social events.
2. Landscape Photography
Landscape photography captures the beauty of outdoor nature and landscapes, and captures specific moments in time. Photographers seize the perfect light and composition to take the best shots.
3. Street Photography
This type of photography captures life interactions in public areas, including humans and street animals. Special moments can be documented every day.
4. Macro Photography
Macro photography showcases subjects in detailed close-up shots.
Essential Equipment (3)
1. Camera:
Using a camera is the first step in photography, and it might be challenging to choose the right camera type as there are variable options in the market; however, selecting a camera depends on the need and budget.
2. Lenses:
Lenses vary in quality based on their intended use. They range from standard zoom lenses to professional lenses, such as macro lenses for close-up photography, and telephoto lenses for wildlife or sports photography.
3. Tripod:
The tripod type depends on the camera type and weight. A tripod offers stability and support to the camera, especially for photos that require slower shutter speeds, and long exposures such as waterfalls, sunrise/sunset, and star trails.
4. Lighting:
Photos can be useless if the lighting isn’t appropriate. Lighting can be natural or artificial, and tools such as flash units and softboxes can help control the shots.
Basic Photography Techniques (4)
1. Composition:
Composition in photography involves using lines and frames to capture balanced, interesting, and eye-catching photos.
2. Exposure:
Exposure in photography involves controlling the light entering the lens by adjusting the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to create the desired brightness of the images.
3. Focus:
Adjusting focus to create clear, sharp photos is crucial. Settings include manual and autofocus options.
4. Editing:
After taking the perfect shot, editing the colors and exposure, and removing any flaws play a crucial step in creating engaging photos. Several tools, such as Adobe Lightroom, are available to help edit and enhance photos.
To master photography, it is essential to enjoy practicing it to enhance your skills and create memorable and creative shots. Understanding the basic and correct shooting techniques is crucial, and there are available online and on-ground courses and workshops that teach everything related to photography.
References
- https://www.napoleon.org/en/young-historians/napodoc/the-birth-of-photography/
- https://notesonphotographs.org/95/types-of-photography/
- https://www.nyip.edu/photo-articles/cameras-and-gear/5-essential-tools-for-new-photographers
- https://www.bobbooks.co.uk/blog/20-essential-photography-tips-for-beginners-1
