| Photography is centuries old. When photography first | | | | with light. This rather poetic definition has been |
| became popular around about the turn of the | | | | adopted over the years and now refers to the |
| century it was presided over by experienced | | | | modern use of technology for taking pictures. |
| experts. It is no longer necessary for people to be | | | | Indeed photography can generally be separated into |
| experts in photography to take good photos. Indeed | | | | two distinct varieties; photography for the purpose |
| the advent of digital cameras has seen it become | | | | of artistic endeavour or photography for the purpose |
| easier to take photos and with photo technology | | | | of commercial gain. The range of low cost |
| now available on mobile phones the number of people | | | | photography options have made the use of |
| taking photos has increased. The quality of printing | | | | photography as artistic endeavour much more |
| has improved alongside the standard of cameras. | | | | popular as more people can afford to take up |
| This means that many people now have access to | | | | photography as a hobby. Again the range of |
| technologies in their own home. This means that | | | | professional options by which photographs can be |
| amateur photography can provide professional results. | | | | reproduced make it even easier and cheaper for |
| Especially when the photos that have been taken | | | | people to achieve professional results for their |
| digitally are printed by a professional printing service. | | | | personal photographs. |
| There are a number of different ways in which these | | | | Photography production has not always been as |
| photos can be presented. Modern printing firms can | | | | straightforward and accessible as it is today. The |
| provide an impressive range of different formats in | | | | process of developing photographs is relatively |
| which your home photos can be seen. The most | | | | recent with the first real production of photographs |
| popular of these remains the high quality prints that | | | | taking place in the 1820s. At these times the chemical |
| can be placed into a photo album. But many | | | | processes involved were relatively new to scientists |
| companies have taken this concept further by | | | | and finding methods of permanently reproducing |
| printing photos directly into a photo book. These | | | | images was tough. The first permanent image was |
| photo books are bound like normal hardback books | | | | produced in 1826 but the process to achieve this |
| and the photos are printed onto the pages that are | | | | result took eight hours. |
| included in the book. It can provide a really special | | | | They were a long way from the 30 minute express |
| format in which to present photos from family | | | | service that we have these days! It was not until |
| occasions or holidays. | | | | 1837 when the daguerreotype was developed that |
| The word photography has developed from a French | | | | photos could really be stored for a time. This early |
| word which sounded similar. This French word in turn | | | | version of the photograph paved the way for what |
| came from a Greek word that referred to elements | | | | was to follow and can be seen as the grandfather of |
| such as light, stylus and paintbrush. The generally | | | | the modern photograph. Without these efforts we |
| accepted definition was that photography is a | | | | would not have express photo printing, photos books |
| representation by means of lines or drawing. And | | | | or digital cameras! |
| most directly the word photography means drawing | | | | |