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A photograph is essentially a drawing made with the help of light. Usually a camera takes photographs. But you can also get images by placing an object on photography paper and exposing it to light. Even scanners can make photographic images.

Photographs are taken when light enters the camera and focuses on an image. In a camera, light exposes the film and an image is registered. Special chemicals then process this film and a negative is made that is then transferred onto a sheet of paper to create the photograph we see. Slides or transparencies are a type of film used by professionals; these are positives and are sharper than ordinary films. Today many use digital cameras that do not need films.

A very simple camera was developed in the 1500s, but the first real camera was made around 1826. They became increasingly sophisticated in the later 1800s and into the 1900s. Some of the great pioneers in the science of photography are Johann H. Schulze, Carl Scheele, Joseph Nicephore Niepce, Louis Daguerre, William H. Fox Talbot, Frederick S. Archer, Richard L. Maddox, and George Eastman.

Over the years, technology has become sophisticated and an automatic camera can now produce a photograph in just about 15 seconds, while digital cameras show you the results immediately.

Among of the first to use a camera artistically were Gaspard Felix Tournachon and Nadar Anotehr.With the camera, for the first time, real life events could be recorded. People took photos of situations like avalanches, wars, social causes, etc. The photos of William H. Jackson helped create Yellowstone Park, while Jacob A. Riis and Lewis W. Hine showed the horrors of New York in the 1800s and helped bring about improvements there. The flashbulb helped better photography, and photography began to find its place in advertising, broadcasting, and in recording family events. Photographers like Margaret Bourke-White and Robert Capa made their mark when they recorded important people and events.

What makes a good photograph is focus; aperture; exposure, which is determined by shutter speed; focal length, which usually depends on the type of lens used; the medium used; and its sensitivity to light and color. All of these are interconnected. For example, the brightness of an aperture could be increased by the shutter speed, while changing focal length can control depth of field.

All adjustments usually depend on the subject, the lighting, and the depth of field you want. Light affects shutter speed and aperture size. So, on a bright day, use a fast shutter and a small aperture, while on a cloudy day, reduce the shutter speed and increase aperture. Artificial light will need different settings. For a moving subject, you should increase the shutter so that there is no blurring. If you want to photograph a large area, you should use a smaller aperture. Practice will help you get the correct effects. However, modern digital cameras have made all this much easier with everything being automatic.

Photography has become more fascinating than ever before. It has been a long journey from black and white and sepia tinted photos to easy-to-create digital images. Today photography is being used in every sphere of life, from medicine to space stations to a family picnic.

Photographs provides detailed information on Photographs, Aerial Photographs, Black and White Photographs, Vintage Photographs and more. Photographs is affiliated with Digital Stock Photography.

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Taking pictures of your new baby is a great way to preserve life long memories. Baby pictures can also make great postcards, keepsakes, or baby shower gifts. Here are some simple tips to get great baby pictures:

1) Avoid bright light - Babies are especially sensitive to bright light including harsh sunlight and flash photography. If possible, try to take photos during the day when flash photography is not necessary. You can also use lamps to create lighting.

2) Take pictures from different distances - Try to take pictures from different distances. Most people like to take closeup pictures, but pictures that are too close can be blurry and out of focus. By taking several pictures from different distances, you can keep the ones that are the best.

3) Be aware of your baby’s mood - Try not to start a photo session when your baby is cranky or crying. If your baby is in a bad mood, then wait awhile until he or she is better rested or calmed. You will get better pictures when your baby is in good spirits.

4) Use a high quality camera and film - This tip may seem simple, but is worth saying. Using high quality cameras and film can make a big difference in the quality of the photo, especially if you are creating photo gifts or favors.

5) Get rid of any distractions - Make sure there are not too many distractions when taking pictures. Anything that moves or makes noise, like the TV, should be turned off is possible. Having too many people around can also be distracting for the baby.

6) Take multiple shots - Taking different shots is a good idea for any type of photography, particularly if you are making photo gifts. Sometimes it is hard to tell if a shot will turn out good until it is actually produced, so get those extra shots just in case.

7) Background - Make sure that there is not too much distracting stuff in the background. The focus should be on the baby, so plain backgrounds usually work best.

Other people - Try taking pictures of the baby with other people as well, including yourself. A baby will interact with other people and these interactions captured on film can make great keepsakes.

About the Author - Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For baby shower picture frames, go to Baby Picture Frames - Favors and Unique Baby Shower Favors.

Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits above remain in tact and the hyperlinks stay active.

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As a newspaper photographer I’ve taken quite a few `snatch shots’, which are photographs of someone that were taken without the person in the picture being aware of it.

Actually there are two kinds of snatch shots, long range and close range. Long range shots are usually but not always taken with a zoom lens, usually from several hundred yards away. Close range snatch shots are best taken with a medium wide angle lens and they are taken from just a few yards away.

Let’s assume that you plan to take a long range snatch shot, that your subject (or prey, whichever way you want to look at it) is in a public park and that you are perhaps a couple of hundred yards away from him.
Several things could happen.

You might casually raise your camera and pretend to be taking pictures of the park. Point it in several directions and perhaps play around with the camera controls to make it look as if you’re adjusting it, maybe changing the aperture or shutter speed.

But at some stage you’ll have to point the camera in his direction, and this is where the problems can begin.
He may not be quite sure what you’re taking a picture of; he may think that you’re just taking a picture of the park or he may suspect that you’re taking a picture of him.

It’s bad news, either way, because he has now been alerted. This may be enough to make him turn his back on you and move away but if he doesn’t, if he keeps looking at you, keep cool.

Remember that he will be looking at the camera head on, and from this perspective all he can see is the front of the lens, he can’t see the body part of it. And as he can’t see the body of the lens, the chances are that he doesn’t know if it’s a standard lens or a zoom lens.
If he decides that it’s a standard lens it might be ok, he might decide that you’re harmless.

Or he might tell himself that he doesn’t care what kind of lens it is, you aren’t going to take his picture, period. He might decide to confront you about it, to walk over to you and find out what the hell you’re doing.
Keep calm, but also decide what you’re going to do - and do it quickly.
Basically you have three options.

One option is let him walk right up to you, let him demand to know what you’re doing, admit that you were taking his picture and offer to delete the pictures. This may not be good enough for him, of course - he may decide to trash your camera and perhaps trash you too.
Another option is to stand up to him; tell him you were taking his picture and ask him what he plans to do about it.

A third option is to take his picture as he is walking towards you, to forget how scared you are and keep pressing that shutter. Then, when you’re sure you have some good pictures of him…
Run like hell!

* There are also important ethical issues involved in this kind of photography and I plan to discuss these in a future article.

Paul Gooch is a Press and wedding photographer located in Skegness UK. He sells his photographs to local, regional and national newspapers, has taught media studies at a local college and has published several thought provoking and perhaps controversial articles about photography on his web site http://www.paulgoochimages.com

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