Photography is the art and practice of using light to produce images and record them onto certain sensitized surfaces, usually chemically coated plastic film or a memory card. These materials are embedded inside cameras, devices that take photographs. There is no limit to the subjects a person may photograph. Common subjects include landscapes, people, commercial products, food and buildings, among others. Modern photographers use both analog and digital cameras.

 

Analog cameras contain a curved glass lens, a shutter and film. As light rays naturally reflect off the photo's subject and hit the lens at different angles, the lens redirects them to a point behind the camera's aperture to form a real image. When taking a photo, the camera's shutter opens as the film inside is placed to where this real image is. Light then hits the film, initiating various chemical reactions that expose the film. The shutter then closes and fresh film is moved behind the shutter for the next picture. These cameras yield better image quality and do not require electricity.

 

In digital cameras, the redirected light rays hit a semiconductor sensor that converts the light into electrical energy. A firmware drive interprets the electrical energy into binary code that represents every pixel of an image. This information is then recorded onto an internal memory storage unit. Digital cameras provide better convenience, portability, storage and ease of development. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)