Photography is the practice of capturing light to create an image. It can be done with either film or digital cameras and is used for many different purposes. The word photography comes from the Greek words meaning “light” and graphy” which means “drawing with light”.

The first photos were made with a device called a daguerreotype that was fixed directly to a piece of heavy metal. The process was very expensive and impractical but it allowed for the first color photographs to be made. Before that most were monochromatic although photographers who toed the line between artist and chemist had been using specialized techniques to capture color for decades.

Today most photos are taken with a camera that uses an electronic sensor to capture light instead of film. This is much less expensive and allows for much greater control over the final image. It also allows for the creation of different types of photographs such as black and white or even high dynamic range images.

One of the most important elements to creating an effective photograph is exposure. This refers to how bright or dark an image is and is controlled by a combination of settings called shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. The photographer must know how to balance these three settings to get the desired result.

The other element to consider is the composition of a photo. This is where the creative talent of the photographer can really come into play. One way to do this is through the use of framing. This is a technique where the photographer frames an image to focus attention on the subject and help guide the viewer through the image.