What is Photography?
Mirror image of LWF - November, 2018.
“It is always the instantaneous reaction to oneself that produces a photograph” - Robert Frank
What is Photography? Simply put, Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light. This can be done in many different ways and has been throughout the years.
Today’s preferred format is digital photography. Digital photography is the process of capturing photos using electronic light-sensitive sensors rather than traditional film. Light comes through the camera lens and is converted into digital data via the sensor, allowing you to instantly view, edit, and share photos. The ease and speed with which you can control your photos is wonderful. These are a couple of the distinct advantages digital photography offers over film photography.
Digital photography became the norm shortly after the year 2000. Before the rapid change in technology, light-sensitive film photography was the main source of expression. Film photography is an old-school method of capturing images using light-sensitive material called film. When you take a photo, light passes through the camera and onto the film. You will then need to develop the film for printing. Developing film is the chemical process that turns film into visible negatives. This can be done at home or sent to a professional mail-in lab to be developed. These visible negatives can then be used, in a dark room, to create physical prints. As you may have guessed by now, film photography is much more time-intensive than digital.
The 1st type of photography I ever tried in school was that of the pinhole camera. Pinhole photography is a technique that uses a box with a tiny “pinhole” to capture an image onto light-sensitive photo paper. This method incorporates long exposure times, resulting in a unique, soft-focus look, with infinite depth of field. It is a really fun way for anyone to experience photography, especially a young person.
Pinhole camera explained.
The most important thing you can bring to photography is your essence, your perspective, and your eye. I think we as humans can become easily distracted. Between all of the outlets for photography today, our eye can become lost in the seas of others’ work. Dan Bailey drove this point home hard when I took a class of his at the Kenmore Digital Photography Expo in 2016. It’s always a good idea to look for inspiration within other photography, but it’s never a good idea to lose your perspective in someone else’s. I constantly check in with myself to see where my true inspiration lies.
Digital camera sensor.
However you decide to experience photography, know that it will hone your experience and memories. I’ve never had a particularly good memory. However, I can recall and describe in detail all of the feelings of my senses at the time of any of my photographs. The experience has exposed my soul to the light of eternity inside every moment. I hope your journey can be just as beautiful 😊
An evening at Fireman's Park in Tacoma, WA - November, 2018.