What is photography?

Photography is basically a mixture of applied science, imagination and design, professional skills and organizational skills. Therefore, the correct way to learn photography techniques should start with a comprehensive understanding of the entire process of photo formation, rather than focusing on technical details prematurely. This includes two aspects. On the one hand, it is the understanding of the photography equipment and the photography process itself. On the other hand, it is the understanding of the diverse visual methods that objectively, truly and accurately constitute the object picture, as well as the self-expression of the work. power and open interpretive understanding. Why take photos? What does photography actually include? Compared with other methods of picture composition or expression of information and ideas, what role can photos play? What methods can be used to judge the quality of photographic works? These are what this chapter will elaborate on content. Aspects of Photography For many people, one of the most fascinating aspects of photography is the enigmatic power of the photography equipment itself. All high-precision modern craftsmanship and technology condensed in photographic equipment are designed to adapt to human hands and eyes - pressing the camera buttons one by one, the "click" sound made when precision parts are in place, and the "fully armed" Carrying photographic equipment makes all the difference. Equipment is key, and detailed knowledge about it is interesting and important, but taking photos is more than just tinkering with a camera. Another attractive aspect of photography is the actual process—the thrill of mastering a variety of complex photographic problems, and the rewards of developing technical expertise and the final image produced. One can identify and appreciate the result by its inherent photographic "quality," such as superb detail, rich tones, and rich colors. This process provides the photographer with a means of "capturing what he sees", composing a picture of his surroundings without the laborious act of drawing. The camera is a kind of time machine that can condense any selected character, scene or environment, seeming to give the user a kind of power and will. In addition, another attractive aspect of photography is the enjoyment brought by the visual composition of the photo, that is, regardless of the actual content of the subject, by conceiving the picture, such as the geometry of lines and contours, the balance of tones, the scene Use cutting and design techniques to gain real satisfaction. You can even quickly change the viewpoint or appropriately select different shooting moments to get more enjoyment. Perhaps, mainly because photography is a quick, convenient and true way to record things, people are attracted to it and then engage in photography (one of the reasons). However, the most important aspect of photography is the subject itself, and what the photographer wants to objectively express at the moment, or what is to be reproduced. Photography is both evidence and proof, a diagram of an event as it happened, and the camera is a visual record. In contrast, photography is often used by people to manipulate or explain reality, so photos often highlight certain "motivations" or attitudes of the photographer. The photographer can arrange the scene (such as advertising photography), or selectively reflect certain aspects of the event in the photo, while leaving other aspects indifferent (such as politically slanted photojournalism reports). Therefore, it can be said that photography is a powerful means of persuasion and propaganda. Photography always looks real, and under human control, it can express whatever wishes the photographer chooses. Another reason why photographers engage in photography (the second reason) is to master a method of self-expression. The actual subject matter may not be more important than the method of its presentation. It seems strange that photography can be expressed in terms of things that are actually objective, such as using metaphors and fantasy techniques to describe daydreams, but the things used to express them are not directly related to the subject. But the viewer is likely to interpret something else from the image he sees, such as the flickering flames, shadows, or peeling paint. Some Expressionist artists use this to represent ordinary objects as conscious works of art. They create a "painting-like" type of beauty by reducing details and simplifying tones. The above are just some of the diverse activities and interests that fall under the umbrella of the term "photography." They are on par with each other, and it is difficult to distinguish between them. Some of them will be integrated into the works of a certain photographer, and some will be integrated into Ren Su's professional photography field. The pleasure that photographers get in the process of creating photos is probably mainly based on technology, art or communication, and an initial interest in one field can easily develop into a hobby in another field.

As a beginner, it is beneficial to maintain an open-minded and studious attitude. You should try to learn all these aspects of photography and enrich yourself with a comprehensive "basic course". The more preferable method is to learn through practice rather than relying solely on theoretical study. Principles of Photography No matter what the photographer's ultimate goal is, he should be able to use photography techniques freely. Of course, you can still take good photos without understanding physics. However, you must at least have sufficient technical knowledge in forming, exposing, developing and printing. The following is an overview of the technical aspects of Jitong's work. Image Exposure Light from the subject is condensed through a glass lens into a focused (usually reduced) image. The lens is located at the front of the camera obscura or camera, facing the film on the other end. The shutter lock device protects the film from light until the selected moment of exposure. Exposure is usually controlled by a combination of the shutter opening time and the diameter of the beam passing through the lens. The latter is similar to the iris in the human eye, and it relies on an aperture device to adjust the size of the aperture. These two control factors also have a deeper impact on visual effects. The shutter time will change the recording method of moving objects: correction or condensation; the lens aperture will change the depth of the subject (depth of field), which can be revealed in a single focus. When using a camera to shoot a subject and compose a picture, you need a viewfinder or focusing screen; and in order to measure the brightness of the subject, you also need a light meter. Once the film's sensitivity is entered into the meter, the meter can be used to take an exposure reading or automatically set a suitable combination of aperture and shutter speed. Alternatively, you can use your knowledge and skills to achieve your goals without using these exposure settings in order to achieve a selected effect or to compensate for environmental conditions that cause the meter to "fail". Film Processing Properly exposed film differs only in its atomic state from unexposed film, that is, the former undergoes tiny chemical changes that form an invisible image or "latent image." During the subsequent development process, developing chemicals must act on the film in the dark in order to enhance the latent image into a more substantial image that persists under ordinary light. These chemicals are all used in liquid form, and each processing solution has a specific effect on the film for which it is adapted. For example, with most black-and-white films, the first chemical (developer) develops black silver grains in the areas hit by the light. The second chemical solution (fixer) used subsequently dissolves (fixes) the unexposed parts of the silver halide, leaving a transparent film. Therefore, the result after rinsing away the chemical by-products and drying is a Black and white film. The process of developing color film into color film is similar to the above, except that a more chemically complex solution is used. During the color film development process, the developer includes yellow, magenta and black silver. The dye is formed in the cyan three-layer emulsion layer. The silver is then bleached away and fixed, leaving a color image consisting of only three layers of dye that are complementary to the color of the subject. Color slides require more processing. Steps. First, a black and white film developer is used, and then the (normally fixed) film is developed in color to create a positive image in silver and dye. After all the silver is bleached away and fixed, what remains is the dye. Positive color slides. The next step in making the print is photoprinting, or more commonly enlarging the film, which is mounted in a vertical projector called an enlarger. An image is formed on the photographic paper, which can be of almost any size required. During the exposure, more light passes through the transparent areas of the film and onto the photographic paper than through the denser areas, and the latent image is recorded on the photographic paper. After subsequent chemical processing, these processing steps are similar to those required for developing film. For example, black and white photographic paper will be exposed, then developed, fixed and washed. "Negative of negative", this is a positive image, which is the familiar black and white photo. After the color photographic paper is exposed, it goes through a series of processing steps such as color development, bleaching and fixing to form the color negative of the color negative - the positive. In addition, color photos can also be obtained from color slides using some other photosensitive materials and processing processes. The important feature of printing (in addition to being able to change the image size and print multiple copies) is that the picture can be corrected or controlled from beginning to end. . Unsatisfactory parts near the edges can be cropped, and selected areas can be lighter or darker in tone.

For color prints, enlarger filters with a wide working range can be used to finely adjust the color balance of the photo or create a certain effect. In addition, based on experience, some parts of several films can be combined into one photo to form a partial positive image, a partial negative image, etc. Routine work and creative decisions Photographic techniques can be divided into two types. ●The first type has a set of routines, in which consistency is the most important. For example, film development or photo paper development require consistency, especially for color photosensitive materials. Most of these specialized tasks are currently performed by machines. ●The second type is those stages where creative decisions must be made, where a large number of choices and changes are possible. These include organizing subjects, using lighting and cameras, and printing. As a photographer, you need to deal with these problems and make decisions, or at least control them tightly. Using technical knowledge combined with practical experience (acquired from taking lots of photos in a variety of situations), photographers can gradually develop a skill that becomes second nature to them. It's like learning to drive a car. First of all, you must consciously learn about the mechanical control of the car. After you are familiar with this technology, you will focus more and more on the destination you want to reach by driving. Ultimately, the most time is probably spent on the compositional aspects of the shot, composing the shot and capturing expressions and movements that are different every shot and have no routine answers. However, photographers should, no matter what, be aware of the latest processing techniques and equipment, and explore the new visual opportunities these equipment and techniques can provide. Color vs. Black and White The first photo most people take is probably in color. Intuitively, taking a color photo is much easier than taking a black and white photo because the result more closely resembles the object you see in the viewfinder. Of course, the photographer must take into account certain differences between how an object appears and how it appears in a color photograph. However, this is generally easier than predicting what monochromatic shade an object's color will turn into. Perfect black and white photography is far more interpretive and subtle than color photography, and less naturally realistic. It is for this reason that black-and-white photography has become an artistic expression method for photography fans, and is often seen in "excellent works" and gallery displays. At this point, it is easily connected with the black-and-white photography of the past. On the other hand, apart from its use in news photography such as newspapers, where most of the reproduced images are still in black and white, professional photography is dominated by color photography. Color photosensitive materials and processing processes are inherently much more complex than black and white. This is why reliable color photo processing processes were not discovered until almost 100 years after the advent of photography. Even now, color processing is expensive and laborious to apply. Therefore, before the 1970s, photographers mainly learned black and white photography techniques and gradually developed into color photography. Today, a large number of the chemical complexities of color photography are closely related to the manufacturer's film, paper, pre-mixed solutions and standardized processing procedures. This is mainly because color printing is more demanding than black and white printing because of the need for color balance. Carry out external identification and control. Therefore, it can be seen that black and white photography is a better starting point for learning, at least when it comes to darkroom work. Composition The visual composition of a picture is as important as the technical quality of the composition, and experience and knowledge are equally important in acquiring compositional skills. Composition is to present an object in the most powerful and efficient way, regardless of what the object is. This approach often avoids clutter or confusion between the various components of the picture (unless such a very chaotic state contributes to the desired atmosphere). Composition involves using the lines, contours, and tonal areas of the picture without regard to what they actually are, so that they relate to each other, like an unconscious geometry, see Figure 1.3. Generally speaking, composition It is something unique to photography, painting, and art. The main difference is that most photographic pictures must be done when the subject is still in front of the photographer, because the camera moves very quickly and does not appear to be in the same position. There is some truth to the idea that the "rules" of composition are no longer fashionable, as is the case with drawing with a pencil or brush, and then gradually completing the final image. Lack of originality and blindly following rules. As Edward Weston once wrote: “Being taught the rules of composition before taking a photo is like being taught the laws of gravity before taking a walk.

"Of course, it is easy to say this for people who have developed a keen eye for picture composition. However, if you are just a beginner, then the necessary guidance is still beneficial. Beginners should practice composition. Make critical comparisons of successful images with unsuccessful ones, and discuss this with others, who may or may not be photographers. It may be best to take several photos at once, if possible. Make a straightforward description, then slightly change it in several other shots, and so on, constantly condensing and highlighting what the image expresses or shows. When composing the picture, the photographer should "torture" the subject and never give in until he feels exhausted. Brain, try all the visual possibilities of the subject. Here, the human eye is more important than the camera (although some cameras are far less obstructive to the composition of the picture than other cameras). Style and creativity play a big role. Some photographers (such as Lee Friedlander) advocate irregular composition, thinking that it helps to add mystery to the content of the picture, while others, like the famous Arnold. Newman and Henri Cartier-Bresson, who had just adopted a more formal approach to composition. The composition of photography was almost as varied as music composition or literary writing--melodic or atonal, careful. or reckless, and the composition can highlight the subject, subject and style. Every picture taken by the photographer should contain some kind of compositional decision, even if it is just the choice of camera position and the timing of pressing the shutter.