Photography is the art of capturing images using a camera. The word comes from Greek and means "writing with light." A photographer uses light to create pictures.

Today, almost everyone takes photos with their phones, but professional photography requires knowledge of composition, lighting, and camera settings.

Photography is both a technical craft and an artistic medium that captures moments in time through the manipulation of light.

Since its invention in the early 19th century, photography has evolved from cumbersome chemical processes to sophisticated digital systems, democratizing image-making worldwide.

The shutter speed controls how long the camera opens to let light in. A fast shutter speed freezes movement. A slow shutter speed creates motion blur.

• Fast shutter speed (1/1000s): Great for sports and action photos — everything looks frozen
• Slow shutter speed (1s or more): Great for waterfalls and light trails — movement looks smooth

Shutter speed is one of the three pillars of exposure, alongside aperture and ISO.

• High-speed capture (1/4000s): Freezes fleeting moments like splashing water or hummingbird wings
• Long exposure (30s+): Creates ethereal effects in landscapes and astrophotography
• Panning technique: A medium shutter speed combined with camera movement to convey dynamism

Wildlife photography is about capturing animals in nature. It requires patience and a good telephoto lens to photograph animals from a safe distance.

• Patience: You might wait for hours to get the perfect shot
• Fast shutter speed: Animals move quickly, so you need to freeze the action
• Camouflage: Wearing natural colours helps you stay hidden

Wildlife photography demands both technical expertise and deep knowledge of animal behaviour. Photographers must anticipate their subjects' movements.

• Equipment: Telephoto lenses (300mm–600mm) allow safe, non-intrusive observation
• Burst mode: Continuous shooting captures the decisive fraction of a second
• Ethics: Responsible photographers never disturb or bait wildlife

Cityscape photography captures the beauty of cities — buildings, streets, and lights. The best time to shoot is during the golden hour or at night.

• Use a tripod: It keeps the camera steady for sharp night photos
• Wide-angle lens: Shows more of the city in one photo
• Leading lines: Roads and bridges guide the viewer's eye through the image

Cityscape photography transforms urban environments into compelling visual narratives. Mastering ambient and artificial light is essential.

• Blue hour: The twilight period creates a striking balance between artificial city lights and the remaining sky glow
• Long exposure: Transforms traffic into luminous light trails
• Perspective control: Tilt-shift lenses correct converging vertical lines in tall buildings

Composition is how you arrange things inside your photo. Good composition makes a photo more interesting and beautiful.

• Rule of thirds: Imagine your photo divided into 9 squares — place important things where the lines meet
• Foreground interest: Put something interesting in front to add depth
• Framing: Use doors, windows, or trees to create a natural frame

Composition is the visual grammar of photography. It determines how a viewer's eye navigates the image.

• Rule of thirds: An asymmetrical framework that creates dynamic tension
• Leading lines: Natural or architectural lines that converge toward the focal point
• Negative space: Deliberate emptiness that emphasizes the subject through isolation

The aperture is the opening in the lens. It controls how much light enters and how much of the photo is in focus.

• Wide aperture (f/1.8): The background is blurry — perfect for portraits
• Narrow aperture (f/16): Everything is sharp — perfect for landscapes
• Bokeh: The beautiful blurry circles you see in the background of portrait photos

Aperture, measured in f-stops, governs depth of field — a critical creative tool.

• Shallow depth of field (f/1.4–f/2.8): Isolates subjects from distracting backgrounds with creamy bokeh
• Deep depth of field (f/11–f/22): Maximizes sharpness across the entire focal plane
• Hyperfocal distance: A technique landscape photographers use to maximize sharpness

Portrait photography captures people's faces and expressions. Street photography captures everyday life in public places.

• Portraits: Use a wide aperture to blur the background and make the person stand out
• Natural light: Soft light from a window creates beautiful shadows
• Street photos: Be ready to shoot quickly — interesting moments happen fast!

Portrait photography aims to reveal character, while street photography documents the spontaneous theatre of daily life.

• Environmental portraits: Subjects photographed in their natural habitat to add narrative context
• Candid vs. posed: Candid shots often feel more authentic than staged portraits
• The decisive moment: Henri Cartier-Bresson's philosophy of capturing fleeting instants

Remember these important points:

• Shutter speed: Controls how movement looks — fast freezes, slow blurs
• Aperture: Controls background blur — wide for portraits, narrow for landscapes
• Composition: Arrange elements carefully using the rule of thirds
• Practice: The best way to improve is to take lots of photos!
• Light is everything: Golden hour and blue hour produce the most beautiful light

Essential takeaways from this lesson:

• The exposure triangle: Shutter speed, aperture, and ISO work together — mastering their interplay is fundamental
• Genre diversity: Wildlife, cityscapes, portraits, and street photography each demand distinct skills
• Composition matters: Technical perfection without strong composition produces forgettable images
• Light awareness: Understanding natural and artificial light elevates every genre of photography