Whether for recreational or professional purposes, photography is an activity anyone can enjoy, particularly since the advent of the convenient digital camera, and the ubiquitous cell phone camera.
It is almost unbelievable that Joseph Nicephore Niepce created the first photographic image in 1827, followed by the 1836 invention of modern photography, by Louis Daguerre.
Ever since, photographs have captured memories in a tangible form, to be shared with friends, family, and future generations. The greatest moments in history, preserved in photographic form, prove the value of photography in our everyday lives.
The Iwo Jima flag raising, the Wright Brothers’s first flight, and Neil Armstrong’s footprint on the moon stand out as some of the most memorable images captured in all of their celluloid splendor.
Everyone is familiar with the finished product, but where does one begin when taking up photography as a hobby? A photographer has three basic needs:
- a subject,
- a camera, and
- a method for developing images.
Finding a subject seems relatively easy, requiring only an eye for locating unusually interesting places and faces. Often, vacation locales, children or pets, and everyday objects provide inspiration.
Beginners need just a few supplies: a basic point-and-shoot digital camera, a memory card, and batteries. For most photographers, gone are the days old style cameras that produce slides, and then the resulting need to convert the slides to digital format. If the digital camera stores images in the internal memory, or comes with its own rechargeable battery, or both, adjust the list accordingly. With all the advances in digital cameras, even the least expensive will have enough megapixels to produce beautiful prints.
The only option to consider is if the camera features digital zoom, which blows up the size of the subject to fit the frame, or the more desirable optical zoom, which brings a distant subject clearly into focus. For those who wish to further pursue the art of photography, a DSLR camera is the logical step toward producing professional quality images.
Once the subject has been captured in your digital camera, the next question is how to get it out. Professionals and purists may still use old-fashioned cameras and develop their work in a darkroom, while those who prefer the digital medium often fail to develop their work in print altogether, leaving precious pictures on memory cards, hard drives, or photo CDs.
Turning those digital images in to prints is easily achieved, whether you do it yourself, or enlist the help of a local business. Most big box retailers and drugstores offer one hour photo service, making it as simple as putting your memory card into a machine, selecting the desired photos, and picking up your pictures an hour later. Or, if you prefer, most color printers produce fine photos when used with high quality photo paper, in the privacy of your home.
From the 1830s dawn of modern photography, and the creation of the first color photographs in the 1940s, to the 1986 introduction of the digital camera, it is amazing how developing technologies change the face of photography. With future advances in digital cameras and printing techniques, photography, both as a hobby and as a business, will continue to experience increased exposure.