What does photo mean?

A photograph is an image that has been created by the action of exposing light through a lens on a photographic paper or film. The word photography comes from the Greek words photos meaning “light” and graphos meaning “drawing”.

This technique combines optics (the science of focusing rays of light on a camera lens) and chemistry to produce a permanent recording onto the light sensitive surface of a piece of film or paper. This means that the photographer’s subject can be easily reproduced, and is often an important part of commercial and advertising campaigns.

The camera’s ability to record an image, at the moment of exposure, sets it apart from other picture-making techniques. This seemingly automatic process has been said to give photographs a sense of authenticity that cannot be achieved by other media.

In a recent post titled Fill The Frame, Make Better Photos I discussed how framing is an important element of composition that can make or break an image. A well framed photo, that is both interesting and clear will evoke a range of responses from the viewer.

How do we know if we are using good framing?

A good frame, one that is clearly defined and excludes nothing, helps the viewer focus on the main focal point. It can also help the viewer navigate around and understand the context of an image.

Whether or not an image is meaningful, and how it is perceived by those who view it, will always depend on how the viewer interprets that meaning. This is why it’s important to be open to interpretations – and to allow others to do the same.