For most people, photography is an enjoyable and relaxing hobby. For others it is a very rewarding career. But how does the process of capturing images on film actually work? Let’s take a look at some photography basics.
The word photography comes from the Greek words ‘photos’, meaning “light”, and ‘graphe’ meaning “drawing”, literally translating to “drawing with light”. In early cameras, light first traveled through the camera lens, or eye of the camera, and then through an opening called an aperture which controls how much light goes through the shutter and onto the sensor, where it is finally absorbed and turned into pixels. Modern digital cameras make use of only a lens which allows light to be absorbed by a sensor and transferred to a digital memory card and usually have a built in flash for low light situations.
The quality of the final image can be determined by a number of factors including the type of lens used, the size and caliber of the sensor, and the speed of the memory card used. For everyday photography, a camera with a standard lens and a small sensor will get the job done. For more precise images, a medium or telephoto lens and a larger sensor should be used