What is photography?

Photography is basically a mixture of applied science, imagination and design, professional skills and organizational ability. Therefore, the correct way to learn photography technology should start with a comprehensive understanding of the whole process of photo formation, rather than focusing on technical details prematurely. This includes two aspects, on the one hand, the understanding of the photographic equipment and the photographic process itself, on the other hand, the understanding of the diversified visual ways that objectively, truly and accurately constitute the image picture, and the understanding of the self-expression and public interpretation of the work. Why take pictures? What does photography actually include? Compared with other picture composition methods or information and thought expression methods, what role can photos play? What method can be used to judge the quality of photographic works? This is exactly what this chapter will elaborate. All aspects of photography For many people, one of the most attractive aspects of photography is the mystery of the photographic equipment itself. All the high-tech modern technology condensed in photographic equipment is to press the camera button one by one in order to adapt to people's hands and eyes, the "click" sound when precision parts are in place, and the photographic equipment is "armed to the teeth", which has great attraction. Although the equipment is critical and the detailed knowledge about the equipment is interesting and important, taking pictures is not just as simple as playing with the camera a few times. Another attraction of photography is its actual process, which skillfully deals with the stimulation brought by various complicated photography problems, as well as the rewards obtained by exerting technical expertise and making final images. People can recognize and appreciate the photographic effects from its inherent "quality", such as excellent details, rich colors and colorful colors. This process provides a way for photographers to "capture what they see" and form pictures of things around them without strenuous painting. A camera is a time machine, which can condense any selected person, scene or environment, and seems to give users a kind of strength and will. In addition, photography has an attractive aspect, that is, the enjoyment brought by the visual composition of photos, that is, no matter what the content of the subject is actually, we can get real satisfaction from conceiving the picture, such as the geometric shape of lines and corridors, the balance of colors, the cutting and design of scenes and so on. You can even get more enjoyment by changing the angle of view quickly or choosing different shooting moments properly. Perhaps it is mainly because photography is a fast, convenient and true way to record things that people are attracted to it and then engage in photography (one of the reasons). However, the most important thing in photography is the subject itself, and what the photographer wants to express objectively or will reproduce. Photography is both evidence and proof, and it is also a diagram of events, and the camera is a visual record book. On the contrary, photography is often used to manipulate or explain reality, so photos often highlight some "motives" or attitudes of photographers. Photographers can arrange scenes (such as advertising photography), or they can selectively put some aspects of events on photos and ignore others (such as politically inclined news photography reports). Therefore, it can be said that photography is a powerful means of persuasion and publicity. Photography always looks real. Under the control of human beings, photographers can express whatever they choose. Another reason (the second reason) for photographers to engage in photography is to master a method of self-expression. The actual theme may not be as important as its expression. It seems strange that photography can be expressed by actually very objective things, such as metaphor and fantasy, but what is expressed is not directly related to the theme. However, the audience may understand other things from the images they see, such as flickering flames, shadows or peeling paint. This is how some expressionist artists express ordinary objects as conscious works of art, and they create a picturesque beauty by reducing details and simplifying colors. The above content is only part of all kinds of activities and interests covered by the umbrella of the term "photography". They are equal, and it is difficult to tell the good from the bad. Some of them will try to blend into the work of a photographer, and some will blend into any professional photography field. The photographer's pleasure in creating photos is probably mainly based on technology, art or communication, and his interest in a certain city can easily develop into a hobby in another field. As a beginner, it is beneficial to keep an open mind and curiosity. We should study all these aspects of photography hard and enrich ourselves with a comprehensive "basic course". A better way is to learn through practice, rather than just relying on theory. The principle of photography, no matter what the ultimate goal of a photographer is, should be able to use shooting techniques freely. Of course, you can take good photos without knowing physics. But baby, at least have enough technical knowledge of nickel formation, exposure, development and printing. Let's briefly introduce the technical aspects of Jitong's work. Image exposure Light from an object is condensed into a focused (usually reduced) image through a glass lens. The lens is located at the front of the camera or camcorder, facing the film at the other end. Before the selected exposure time comes, the door closes quickly, and the device can keep the film out of light. Exposure is usually controlled by the combination of shutter opening time and beam diameter passing through the lens. Among them, the latter is similar to the iris in human eyes, and it adjusts the aperture size through the aperture device. These two control factors have a deeper influence on the visual effect. Shutter time will change the recording mode of moving objects: correction or condensation; The lens aperture will change the depth (depth of field) of the subject, which can be displayed in focusing applications. When using a camera to shoot a subject and compose a picture, you need to use a viewfinder or a focusing screen; In order to measure the brightness of an object, an exposure meter is needed. Once the film sensitivity is input into the exposure meter, the exposure meter can measure the exposure reading or automatically set the appropriate combination of aperture and shutter speed. In addition, in order to obtain the selected effect or compensate for the influence of environmental conditions that make the exposure instrument "fail", we can also use our own knowledge and skills to achieve our goals without using these exposure settings. Film processing The correctly exposed film is different from the unexposed film only in atomic state, that is, the former has undergone slight chemical changes, forming an invisible image or "latent image". In the subsequent development process, the developed drug must act on the film in the dark to enhance the latent image into a more realistic image that persists under ordinary light. These chemicals are all used in liquid form, and each cleaning solution has a special effect on the membrane suitable for it. For example, for most black-and-white films, the first chemical liquid (developer) will develop the illuminated area into black silver particles. The second liquid medicine (fixing solution) used later can dissolve (fix) the silver halide in the unexposed part, leaving a transparent film. Therefore, chemical by-products are washed away, and the washing result obtained after drying is a black-and-white negative. The process of developing color film into color negative is similar to the above, but the chemical composition is more complicated. During the development of color film, the developer forms dyes in three emulsion layers of yellow, magenta and cyan, including black silver. Then the silver is removed and fixed, leaving a color picture composed of only three layers of dyes, which is complementary to the color of the subject. Color slides need more developing steps. First, a black-and-white negative developer is used, and then the film (usually fixed) is developed in color to produce a positive image of silver and dye. After all the silver is removed and fixed, what remains is a color slide with a positive dye image. The next production step of printing is printing, or more generally, amplification. The film of the existing picture is installed in a vertical projector called a magnifying glass, and the lens of the magnifier can be imaged on photographic paper, and its size can be almost arbitrarily selected as needed. During exposure, the amount of light shining on photographic paper through transparent areas on the film is more than that through dense areas. The latent image recorded on the photographic paper should also be washed away by the subsequent chemical liquid. Generally speaking, these development steps are similar to those required when developing films. For example, black-and-white photographic paper is exposed on a black-and-white negative, then developed, fixed and washed, and the "negative of the negative" will appear. This is the positive image, which is the familiar black-and-white photo. After color paper exposure, a series of developing steps, such as color development, bleaching and fixing, can form color negative and positive films on color negative. In addition, color photos can also be obtained from color slides and some other photosensitive materials and the development process. The important feature of printing (besides changing the image size and printing multiple copies) is that you can correct or control the picture from beginning to end. Unnecessary parts near the edge can be cut off, and the tone of the selected area can be lightened or deepened. For color printing, you can use a magnifying glass filter with a wide working range to fine-tune the color balance of photos or produce some effects. In addition, according to experience, some parts of several films can be combined into a photo to form a picture with some positive films and some negative films, and so on. Routine work and creative decision photography can be divided into two types. The first one has a complete set of routine procedures, in which consistency is the most important, such as the development of film or photographic paper, which needs consistency, especially in color photographic materials. At present, most of these specialized jobs are done by machines. The second is the stage where creative decisions must be made, and a lot of choices and changes are possible at this stage. These include organizing themes, using lights and cameras, and printing movies. As a photographer, it is necessary to deal with these problems, make decisions, or at least strictly control them. By using technical knowledge and practical experience (accumulated by taking a large number of photos in different environments), photographers can gradually develop a skill and make this skill their second instinct. It's like learning to drive. First of all, you must consciously learn the mechanical manipulation 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. In the end, it may take the most time to compose a composition, such as composing a composition and capturing expressions and actions that are different every time and have no conventional answers. But in any case, photographers should be familiar with the latest development technology and equipment and explore the new visual opportunities that these equipment and technologies can provide. Color and black and white The first photo most people take may be color. Intuitively, color photos are much easier to take than black and white photos, because the effect is more like what you see in the viewfinder. Of course, photographers must consider some differences between the appearance of objects and the results of color photos. However, on the whole, it is easier than predicting what monochromatic color an object will become. Perfect black-and-white photography is far more explanatory and subtle than color photography, and it is not so natural and realistic. It is for this reason that black-and-white photography has become an artistic expression of photographers, which is more common in "excellent works" and gallery exhibitions, and it is easy to be associated with black-and-white photography in the past. On the other hand, professional photography is mainly color photography, except news photography such as newspapers (because most of the pictures it reproduces are still black and white). The material and developing process of color photos are much more complicated than that of black-and-white photos, which is why the reliable developing process of color photos was discovered almost 100 years after the advent of photography. Even at present, color development is still an expensive and laborious application. So before the 1970s, photographers mainly learned the skills of black-and-white photography and gradually developed into color photography. Today, a large number of complex chemical problems in color photography are closely related to the film, photographic paper, pre-prepared solution and standardized development procedures in the factory. This is mainly because the requirements of color printing are higher than those of black and white printing, because color balance needs foreign identification and control. Therefore, it can be seen that at least in darkroom work, it is better to take black and white photography as the starting point of learning. The visual composition of picture composition is as important as the technical quality of picture composition, and experience and knowledge are equally important for acquiring composition skills. Composition is to express objects in the most powerful and effective way, no matter what. This method can often avoid the clutter or confusion between various components in the picture (unless this very chaotic state is conducive to the creation of the atmosphere). Composition includes making use of lines, corridors and tonal areas in the picture, no matter what they are, to make them relate to each other, just like an unconscious geometric shape, as shown in figure 1.3. Generally speaking, composition is something that photography and sketching, painting and fine arts have. The main difference is that most photos must be taken when the subject is just standing in front of the photographer. Because the camera moves very fast, it will not provide the same trigger shooting opportunity for gradually completing the final shadow jiaozi in the future, just like drawing with a pencil or brush. In principle, the "rules" of composition are out of date. Because the result of its advocacy will only be the lack of originality and blind obedience rules. As Edward Weston once wrote, "Asking for advice on the law of composition before taking pictures is just like asking for advice on the law of gravity before walking." Of course, it is easy for people who have developed a pair of sharp eyes for composition. However, if you are just a beginner, the necessary guidance is still beneficial. Beginners should practice critical comparison between successful and unsuccessful pictures and discuss this issue with others, who may or may not be photographers. If conditions permit, it's best to take a few photos at a time, perhaps with a frank description at first, and then slightly change the other photos, and so on. , and constantly concise and highlight the content expressed or displayed by the image. Photographers should "torture" the subject when composing a composition until they feel that they have racked their brains and tried all the visual possibilities of the subject. Here, the human eye is more important than the camera (although some cameras are far from being between the photographer and the object being pulled like others). Composition plays a great role in the style and creativity of the picture. Some photographers (such as Lee Friedlander) advocate irregular composition, believing that it helps to increase the mystery of the picture. Other photographers, such as the famous Arnold Newman and Henri Cartier-Bresson, just adopted a more formal composition method. The composition of photography is almost as varied as music composition or literary writing-melodious or out of tune, persistent or reckless, which can highlight the theme, theme and style. Every photo taken by a photographer should contain some kind of composition decision, even if it is only the location of the camera and the timing of pressing the shutter.