Photography! An art or a science

Photography is my habit and passion since childhood therefore I always found worth researching on this subject along with practical photography. Some call photography an art and some call it a camera based science but photography is neither art nor science but a combination of both.

The word “photograph” is derived from two Greek words “Phos” (light) and “graphe” drawing. Capturing right amount of light is both a science and an art. Capturing too much light will more focus and expose brighter parts at the expense of darker parts, resultantly the photo will lose texture and tonal details of it. In contrast, capturing less light would portray many darker parts and will lose focus on the subject.

Amount of light is greatly influenced from distance / position of the subject and photographer termed as depth of the field. Depth of the field will influence size of the subject being captured along with the light. One has to and should adjust depth of the field according to aperture of its camera. Camera lenses have an aperture (opening) that gives photographer control over the light coming through it. Wide apertures allow more light to come in and vice versa therefore it will always be an art of the photographer to adjust and distance according to the aperture of its camera to ensure right amount of light and focus on the subject.

Subsequent to the adjustment of light the segment to be concentrated on is “Graphe” drawing. Right drawing at right moment depends on the shutter speed of your camera. Shutter is present either inside the camera or the lens. The faster the shutter speed, the more frozen in time any moving objects will appear such as birds in the sky. Photographer has to click on the right time keeping in view shutter speed of its camera.

To take good photos one should have the camera and understanding of its shutter speed and aperture. Adjusting according to both (Aperture & shutter speed) to take right photos is both a science and an art.

Science is becoming cognizant to the operation of anything while art is to perform according to the science.