Photograpy For Absolute Beginners

 Hi there!, Paul here: welcome to this course on Photography i call it ITK photography Course. In this article you'll learn the basics:

1. What Photography means
2. Who a photographer is
3. What A Camera is
4. Types Of Photography
5. Kinds Of Cameras
6. Terminologies Used In Photography
7. Camera Settings
8. Tips On Taking Good Shots

Alright lets' get started with what photography really means.

WHAT IS PHOTOGRAPHY?

 According to the merrier-Webster's dictionary Photography is: "

the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially light on a sensitive surface (such as film or an optical sensor)"

And really that's what it is!, recording of images:

How?: using light!

On: A sensitive material (this material could be a film or sensors which are widely used in most cameras nowadays)

Photography involves using a device known as a (camera) to capture the light reflected off an object and store the various colors that are reflected off an object as bits of information unto a sensitive material, this image can then be later viewed at any point in time.

WHO A PHOTOGRAPHER IS

 As it stands basically anyone who performs the action of taking a photo, regardless of the device being used , digital or analog or even smartphones - is a Photographer. Now lets be less generic ad focus on those who take photography as a profession , but first let's discuss on just how much of a beauty the device called a camera is.

WHAT IS A CAMERA.

Just as you might have guessed a camera is a/the light sensitive device that can capture images and store them by the action of light on a sensitive material inside it (this could be a film or sensor).
Cameras come in two types:

• Analog Cameras: 

  These kind of cameras use a recording material that could only be used to record only a few images and have to be replaced . These kind of cameras are kind of like the oldest kinds and for more than a hundred years they were the only ones around, up until the advent of digital cameras.

• Digital Cameras:

  These cameras record images digitally using image sensors to capture the images. And as such can store much more than the analog cameras.

Types Of Photography:

There are quite a range of niches in the field of photography to choose from, from wedding photography to Architectural Photography to Wildlife Photography. There is really no limit in photography , there's so much to learn in each genre and so many interesting ones to choose from, but for simplicity below is a list of a few notable and prominent fields which i got from a site called Shawacademy

• Ariel Photography: 

 This involves taking shots at a high ground from a rooftop or in an helicopter etc. These shots are known as Ariel shots (as shown below)

• Architectural Photography 

  

Capturing an interesting form, shape or color of the structure can be visually appealing. Therefore visuals of buildings that are interesting fall under this genre. We can include interiors or exteriors of buildings and even an interesting element of the design.

• Candid Photography  

  This kind of photography is rather eccentric (IMO) it involves taking shots of people or objects without any plan for it - just as they come!. For human subjects it would mean taking their photos without them knowing.
  
  
  
  

  Documentary photography:

   

  

   Manual pictures that form a photo story come under this style. It is about a particular subject or a story that a photographer wants to highlight. They are all objective pictures and can be about a war, social issues, science and so on. When you are chronicling significant events, for instance, the life of a celebrity or a sportsman, plan to spend some time with the person; chat; listen and capture what comes naturally
  
  

  Fashion photography:

  
  Typically used to sell something, this type of photography lures customers by glamorising the product. They are generally very creative and visually very interesting and can be taken in any location like a studio, an apartment, a rundown building or anywhere outdoors.

•  Landscape Photography

  
  
  
  This is one of the most popular types of photography, as it can portray a scenery, or can even show an impact of environmental change. We all love to capture a beautiful landscape when we see one. However, we need to wait for the right light to capture that perfect moment.
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Wedding Photography:

   

  

   This photography is exactly what it says . Wedding photographers capture one of the most happiest of days in people's lives, and as such these photographers are really skilled professionals whose goal is to make a memory for the sake of the celebrants. This is also a very lucrative branch of photography.

Other kinds of photography include:

• Food photography
• Wildlife photography
• Street Photography
• Photojournalism
• Conceptual photography
• Portrait
• Sports photography
• Macro photography
• The list goes on,........

But the ones I've listed are practically the most common ones being practiced.

Now is that a great intro to photography or what, in the next article we get our hands a little dirty and begin our journey as photographers - We'll speak the language of photographers, the terminologies used in photography and the settings on a camera to in order begin taking wonderful shots.

Till then, have fun!