Photography is defined simply as taking photographs. In a bit more technical terms, photography is the capturing of light to create a two dimensional image on a medium such as film or digital media.
People engage in photography either for business or pleasure. Hobby photographers take photos for personal enjoyment and fulfillment; professional photographers take photos for a living, whether it’s fashion, advertising, wedding, or fine art photography.
Photography has advanced significantly over the past few years. Before the advent of digital cameras, film cameras were widely used. Today, however, digital cameras are becoming more and more popular.
While the 35mm film SLR camera was an excellent photography device in the hands of a professional, the modern digital SLR cameras can provide nearly anyone with great photographs. “Once the 35mm film SLR camera was the camera to own but now, there are digital SLR cameras like the Canon Rebel Xti that give the photographer great results with less frustration than their film counterparts” says Minneapolis photographer Bob Dale.
Black-and-white photography, color photography, and digital photography are the three main styles of photography in use today.
Black-and-white photography is often referred to as monochrome photography. Black-and-white photography is not just the original photography style; it has remained an artistic photography style. Though color photography has been around for many decades, the special contrasts created by black-and-white photography continued to be used for their artistic appeal. “Today Black-and-white photography is associated with “fine art” photography, as in the style of Ansel Adams landscape photos or the George Hurrell style of Hollywood portraits” says professional digital photographer Bob Dale.
It should be noted, however, that monochrome photos are not always strictly black and white; there are other hues as well based on the processed used. For instance, the Cyanotype process is used in monochrome photography that results in blue and white images, instead of black and white.
While mainstream color photography technology has only been around for several decades, color photography could be captured by scientists to some extent as early as the middle of the 19th century. Early color photography simply faded over short periods of time, but by 1861, James Clerk Maxwell managed to develop a permanent color photograph. These first color photographs were taken by three separate cameras capturing three separate colors.
Color photography became a lot more sustainable with the Autochrome in 1907. Color film didn’t enter the mix until Agfacolor film in 1932. It was 1935 when Kodak introduced the modern color film. Polaroid came out with an ‘instant’ color film in 1963.
Digital photography uses digital technology to capture and create images. Unlike film photography, digital photography does not use photographic film for creating images. Images are instead stored in electronic media, such as a memory card in the camera.
These digital photos can be easily handled, manipulated, shared, displayed, or printed. Simply hooking the digital storage device up to a computer or a printer will allow the photographs to be quickly printed out at as high quality prints.
Most photography professionals who specialize in portrait photography or wedding photography choose digital SLR cameras. Digital SLR cameras give the photographer the ability to print out quick proof sheets so the customers can quickly pick out which photographs they want to buy.
Most wedding photographers now use digital SLRs in their wedding photography business because these cameras enable them to take pictures of the wedding ceremony discretely, without using flash. At the wedding reception, they can take high quality photos of the bride’s wedding dress, the wedding cake, and wedding guests with a digital SLR that has a zoom lens.
A digital camera is a relatively affordable device. Digital cameras for novices can be purchased without much investment due to decreasing costs of electronic components and increasing market competition. In fact, a small, but very capable digital camera, can be purchased for less than $100 to meet most novice photography needs.
There is no reason why you can’t start with an inexpensive digital camera and then, if you enjoy it, move up to an advanced digital SLR camera later. You may find that before long you are earning a living from your digital photography.
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