Photography and Lens-Based Media
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| photography | 摄影 | shè yǐng |
| focus | 对焦 | duì jiāo |
| exposure | 曝光 | bào guāng |
| depth of field | 景深 | jǐng shēn |
| editing | 后期 | hòu qī |
Drawing with light
- Photography 摄影 makes images with light and a lens.
- The same elements and principles apply to the frame.
- It is a lens-based 2-D art, digital or darkroom.
The key controls
- Key controls: framing, focus 对焦, exposure 曝光 (light), depth of field 景深, and viewpoint.
- Light direction and quality shape value, form, and mood.
- The rule of thirds, leading lines, and negative space compose a photo.
Which photographic control?
Match each effect to the control that produces it.
How much of a photo is in sharp focus, from near to far, is its...
Depth of field is the range that appears sharp.
How light or dark a photo is, set by the amount of light, is its ____.
Exposure controls the brightness of the image.
Select all creative controls in photography.
Framing, focus, and light are creative controls; the printer brand is not.
Match each control to its effect.
Depth of field = focus; exposure = brightness; framing = inclusion.
Editing is part of it
- Editing 后期 (cropping, contrast, colour) is part of the creative process, not just correction.
- Composition can be refined after the shot, by cropping.
- Digital and darkroom processes both count as lens-based art.
Editing choices like cropping and contrast are part of the creative process in photography.
Editing is a creative decision, not just correction.
Photography is making, not just taking. Choices of framing, focus, depth of field, light, and editing are all creative decisions. A snapshot and an artwork can show the same subject — the difference is the deliberate use of the elements and principles.
A portrait uses a shallow depth of field so the face is sharp and the background melts to soft blur — directing all emphasis to the eyes. Side lighting carves out value and form. Every setting is a composition choice, just like a painter's.
Photography makes images with light and a lens, using the same elements and principles. Key controls are framing, focus, exposure, depth of field, and light. Editing (cropping, contrast) is part of the creative process — photography is making, not just taking.