Introduction to photography

Photograph = Photo + Graph = Light + Draw

Photography = Writing with light or painting with light.

Photography is creating an image on a light sensitive material (film) or an image sensor (digital camera) with the help of light.

Photography / Good picture = Technique + Art.

Camera is an instrument / tool which helps to capture the image.

A Camera is a light tight box or a light proof box with an opening for the light to pass.

Parts of a Camera
Lens Helps to form a bright & sharp image. Viewfinder Helps to view the subject to be photographed. Diaphragm Part of the camera that determines the size of the aperture. Aperture is the central opening whose size can be changed. Aperture controls the light entering the camera.

Parts of a Camera
Shutter Mechanical device used to expose the film to light for an exact period of time. Shutter Release Button Mechanism to release the shutter. Film Advance Knob Mechanism to advance the film. Focus Control Adjusting the lens to film distance to form a sharp image of the subject on the film by moving the

Parts of a Camera
Film Compartment Place that holds the film roll. Frame Counter Device to keep track of the number of frames exposed. Rewind Knob Device to rewind the film. Flash Synchronization Synchronizing flash with the shutter opening.

Parts of a Camera
Depth Of Field Preview Button Viewing the area of sharpness through the viewfinder. Self Timer Delay mechanism to open the shutter after a few seconds. Exposure Meter Helps to decide the correct exposure by measuring the intensity of light.

Film Speed Index Window Setting the film speed of the film loaded in the camera.

Parts of a Camera
Battery Compartment A place to load the battery in the camera. Tripod Socket Helps to fix the camera on the tripod.

A lens is attached to the camera at one end and a light sensitive material (film) is placed at the opposite end.

The plane where the lens is attached is called the lens plane.

The plane where the film is placed is called as the film plane.

The light passing through the lens creates an image on the film. This image is called the latent image.

The process of converting this latent image into a permanent image by treating the film with appropriate chemicals is called developing.

Types of Cameras
1. Studio / Field Camera 2. Box Camera 3. Twin lens reflex 4. Single lens reflex 5. 35mm 6. Digital

Studio Camera
1. Also called as Plate Camera or Field Camera or a Large Format Camera. 2. Heavy & cumbersome to carry. 3. Did not have a shutter. 4. Exposure was achieved by opening & closing the lens manually. 5. Film emulsions were very slow. 6. One film sheet at a time.

Studio Camera

Studio Camera

Studio Camera

Box Camera
1. Easy to carry & operate. 2. Focus free. 3. Fitted with a shutter. 4. Used a 120 size film roll.

Box Camera

Twin Lens Reflex

1. Medium format camera / Waist level finder. 2. Easy to carry & operate. 3. Heavier than the Box Camera. 4. Equipped with a focusing mechanism & a shutter. 5. Fitted with two lenses. 6. Top lens for viewing. 7. Bottom lens for image capture. 8. Image is laterally reversed. 9. Parallax error when shooting close-up.

Twin lens reflex

Single Lens Reflex- SLR

1. Two film formats, 120 & 35mm. 2. What you see is what you get. 3. Popular brands in 120 ( Medium Format ) Hasselblad, Mamiya, Bronica etc. 4. Image is laterally reversed. 5. Popular brands in 35mm Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Minolta, Olympus. 6.Compared to 120, 35mm cameras are easy to carry & operate.

Single lens reflex

Single Lens Reflex SLR

35mm Cameras
1. Widely used, extremely popular because of its manoeuvrability & versatility. 2. Light weight compared to other cameras. 3. Can be carried anywhere easily.

35mm

Digital Camera
1. One of the greatest developments in recent years. 2. Compacts as well as SLRs. 3. 4 Mega pixel 39 Mega pixel. 4. Film & Development cost saved. 5. Reusable memory card. 6. Can change film speed in between shots. 7. Can see results immediately.

Digital Camera

Digital Camera

Types of focusing system 35mm Cameras.

1. Fixed focus or focus free. 2. Zone focus. 3. Rangefinder. 4. Manual focus SLR. 5. Auto focus SLR.

Fixed Focus Camera

1.Focus free cameras. 2.Aim & shoot camera. 3.Usually fitted with a wide angle lens. 4.Gives acceptable sharpness from about 5 feet to infinity.

Fixed Focus Camera

Fixed Focus Camera

Fixed Focus Camera

Fixed Focus Camera

Zone Focus Camera

1. Equipped with a focusing ring having 3 or 4 focusing positions. 2. 1 m. Indicated by a head & shoulder icon. 3. 1.5 1.75 m. indicated by two half length human figures. 4. 3 m. indicated by 2 full length human figures. 5. Infinity indicated by mountains.

Zone Focus Camera

Zone Focus Camera

Rangefinder Camera
1. Highly accurate focusing system. 2. Manually turn the focusing ring to coincide the two images in the viewfinder to achieve focus. 3. Gives a slightly different field than seen in the viewfinder when shooting close-up. Called parallax error. 4. Leica M4, Yashica Electro 35 are well known models.

Rangefinder Camera

Rangefinder Camera

Single Lens Reflex - SLR

1. What you see is what you get. 2. Image in the viewfinder is as actual. 3. No Horizontal or lateral reverse. 4. Pentaprism helps to see the actual image. 5. Highly accurate area of coverage. 6. Advantage of interchangeable lenses. 7. Uses ground glass, microprism & split image focusing.

Single Lens Reflex SLR

Single Lens Reflex SLR

Split Image Focusing

Single Lens Reflex SLR