Photography is the process of creating still or moving pictures by recording radiation on a sensitive medium like film or an electronic sensor. The products of photography are called negatives and photographs, the latter being developed from the negatives. Light patterns reflected or emitted by objects activate a sensitive chemical or electronic sensor during a timed exposure usually through a photographic lens in a camera. The camera stores the resulting information chemically or electronically.
Photographers control the camera and lens to expose the light recording material to the required amount of light to form a latent image (on film) or raw file (in digital camera) which, after due processing, is converted to a usable image. In digital cameras, instead of film, an electronic image sensor based on light-sensitive devices is used.
Photography can also be called an art and good photographers often exhibit their oeuvre like artists exhibit their paintings. In fact, the Greek word for photography means ‘drawing with light’. Photography has many applications in business, science and filmmaking, fashion, tourism, advertising, etc.
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Thus, there is fashion photography where people specialize in taking pictures of models in such a way that it highlights the designer costumes and accessories they sport. To promote tourism to a particular place, attractive brochures have to be designed. These will feature photographs of the tourist spots. Many industries too prepare brochures and catalogues featuring pictures of their products.
In films, still photographers take stills of certain scenes to promote new films in the media. The movie camera is different from still cameras. It takes a rapid sequence of photographs on strips of film. Each series of images forms a frame. The frames are played back later on a movie projector. In the advertising industry, photo shoots are very common.
The products to be advertised have to be shot and sometimes models are also part of the shoots. Good photographers are much in demand and charge hefty fees for their services. A talented photographer can also make a model’s career by helping them to put together a good portfolio. Professional courses are available for those who aspire to become photographers.
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Good jobs in the media also await them in prestigious magazines like the ‘National Geographic’. Newspapers also have staff photographers who accompany reporters to cover events. Photographers are also hired to cover weddings, birthdays and other important personal occasions.
Some of the world famous photographers include Henri Cartier-Bresson who is considered as the greatest photographer of the last century and Alfred Eisenstaedt of ‘Life’ magazine. Photography is a lifelong hobby for many people.