1. Hernandez 1
Lisobeth Hernandez
British Lit
Mrs. Maxwell
3rd November 2011
Photography
“Whether he is an artist or not, the photographer is a joyous specialist, for the simple reason
that the eye traffics in the feelings, not in thoughts, (Walker Evans)”.When it comes to photography,
people just think that capturing an image of someone it makes them a skilled photographer. Some
people have the touch and are just natural, when it comes to photography. However, it has been said by
professional that what makes a photographer a professional is the camera they use. That’s a false
statement, because what people do not realize is that what the camera is doing is just simply capturing
the object you’re focusing on. If you want to make photography a hobby or your profession you need to
understand the concept and the basic rules of the picture taking. In photography there are seven major
things you need to think about before shooting, because what makes a good photograph is a debate.
There is focus, object in photograph, composition, lighting and exposure, color, what makes it different
or special, and last but not at least emotion and mood. Photography has many uses for business,
science, manufacturing art and recreational purposes.
Who ever knew that photography would become such an admired art in the world? We owe our
thanks to Sir John Herschel. Sir John Herschel was an astronomer and scientist like his father, Sir William
Herschel. Unaware that the term photography had already been coined by Hercules Florence in 1834,
Herschel also coined the term in 1839. He applied the terms negative and positive to photography (John
Herschel). He first made it public in 1839.the very first photograph was taken by Nicephore Niepce by a
camera he made himself. By this time the pictures weren’t permanent because they would fade away

2. Hernandez 2
when time passed by and before you knew it what once was a picture became a blank piece of paper.it
took 10 years for him to take a picture that would last a lifetime. He has discovered how to make it last;
he asked Charles and Vincent Chevalier from Paris, France to him a sliding wooden box camera. By 1847
he made the first permanent photograph by coating a pewter plate with bitumen and then exposing it
with sunlight. The bitumen would then be hard and the unhardened parts would then dissolve away
(Physics and Physical Technology).
In photography there are many things to be aware of. The word photo actually means “light” in
Greek. Light glorifies everything. It transforms and ennobles the most commonplace and ordinary
subjects. The object is nothing, light id everything”-Leonard Missone. Light comes in different types of
flavors, there is natural light, overcast skylight, indoor light means artificial. Natural light is sunlight,
what this means is that it comes from the sun, nowhere else. Overcast Skylight is where the sun is being
blocked by the clouds and it gives a cold diffused shadow. Indoor lighting is one of the hardest types of
light to photograph in; mainly it’s not bright enough to capture a good picture. “Light makes
photography. Embrace light. Admire it. But above all, know light. Know it is all you are worth, and you
will know the key to Photography,” (Sir John Herschel).
If you aren’t in a good room with good lighting know for a fact your pictures may not come out
like you hoped they would. However if the location is in a nice lit place with outstanding lighting your
pictures will have a drastic difference. If there is no light, photography would not exist(Light, the many
types of Lights). ”Now to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is little like consulting
the law of gravity before going for a walk”-Edward Weston.
Photography has changed many ways I how we see the world and people around us. If it wasn’t
for photography we wouldn’t have any way to learn or see how our history has changed. We wouldn’t
be able to capture special moments in our lives; we would just have head full of memories that wouldn’t

3. Hernandez 3
be expressed or cherished. In photography, it’s not only the image being captured the emotion and
feelings are captured as well. If you take a picture of a sad person who sees or views the picture will feel
sad, if you take a picture of someone smiling and laughing the mood in the picture and the viewer will
be happy. The mood in the image you see is the feeling the viewer will get. Photography is an art that
reflects what you see. It is a momentary second but once it is captured it lasts a lifetime. When you take
a picture you focus on an object. You look at its texture and evaluate the scenery. Most of the time the
main object should at least be in focus. Depth in the field is important because it means that you
gradually loose the transition and everything in the front or the back of the object starts loosing
sharpness (wild Woodburn). Great timing in photography is essential .You must be patient to get the
perfect picture.
Photography is like another language. it talks to you in a way that it is indescribable .When you
see a picture that catches your attention. Something in that picture made you stop and appreciate it. It
talks to you with feelings. People who just do not have the time to appreciate a photograph never truly
understand the meaning of it. Experts have taken a poll that when people waste money on highly
expensive cameras just because they see that other people take breath taking pictures never get any
better pictures. “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera”-
Dorothea Lange”. Few photographers never meet the basics of photography. they might only take one
good picture but they will never know how and why that happened because they haven’t paid much
attention to the basics and will probably never reproduce another one like that. Gesture is very
important in photos. What photographers mean by gesture is the position of hands, body and face.
Gesture doesn’t only apply to people. It applies to inanimate objects, arrangement of things. Facial
expressions are very important; animators understand how to position hands and eyebrows so they can
say everything with a look (Beginnings of Photography)…Was the influence of his teaching and example

4. Hernandez 4
in wakening the public to the power and beauty of science, and stimulating and guiding its pursuit
(Herschel).
Composition, lighting and exposure, color is what makes a photo different or special.
Photography is a well-known art in the world. It is being practiced by people all over the world and is
being perfected every step of the way. It is not only about taking pictures but also knowing how to
capture a story through a photo. Remember, photography is the art, science and practice of creating
durable images. As far as it can be ascertained, it was Sir John Herschel in a lecture before the Royal
Society of London, on March 14.1839 who made the word known to the world. if it wasn’t because of
his intelligence and love for creating a picture we wouldn’t have photography in this world. He has
changed the world and the way it is viewed. While there is perhaps a province in which the photograph
can tell us nothing more than that what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to
us how little out eyes permit us to see.