Editing Photograph

{{Short description|Image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
[[File:Nicéphore Niépce Oldest Photograph 1825.jpg|thumb|The earliest known surviving product of [[Nicéphore Niépce]]'s [[heliography]] process, 1825. It is an ink on paper print and reproduces a 17th-century Flemish engraving showing a man leading a horse.]]
[[File:View_from_the_Window_at_Le_Gras_colorized_2020_new.png|thumb|396x396px|''[[View from the Window at Le Gras]]'' (1826 or 1827), by [[Nicéphore Niépce]], the earliest known surviving photograph of a real-world scene, made with a [[camera obscura]]. Original (left) and [[Film colorization|colorized]] reoriented enhancement (right).]][[File:Icelandic Landscape near Neskaupstaður July 2014.JPG|thumb|A modern-day photograph of an Icelandic landscape, captured on a personal camera]]
A '''photograph''' (also known as a '''photo''', or more generically referred to as an ''image'' or ''picture'') is an [[image]] created by [[light]] falling on a [[photosensitivity|photosensitive]] surface, usually [[photographic film]] or an electronic [[image sensor]]. The process and practice of creating such images is called [[photography]].

Most photographs are now created using a [[smartphone]] or [[camera]], which uses a [[photographic lens|lens]] to focus the scene's [[visible spectrum|visible wavelengths]] of light into a reproduction of what the [[human eye]] would perceive.

==Etymology==
The word ''photograph'' was coined in 1839 by [[Sir John Herschel]] and is based on the [[Greek language|Greek]] φῶς (''[[:el:phos|phos]]''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=photography&searchmode=none |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=16 January 2017 |archive-date=2 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702145626/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=photography&searchmode=none |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of photography}}
The first permanent photograph, a contact-exposed copy of an engraving, was made in 1822 using the [[Bitumen of Judea|bitumen]]-based "[[heliography]]" process developed by [[Nicéphore Niépce]]. The first photographs of a real-world scene, made using a [[camera obscura]], followed a few years later at Le Gras, France, in 1826, but Niépce's process was not sensitive enough to be practical for that application: a camera [[Exposure (photography)|exposure]] lasting for hours or days was required.<ref name="utexas">{{cite web |title=The First Photograph - Heliography |url=http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/wfp/heliography.html |quote=from Helmut Gernsheim's article, "The 150th Anniversary of Photography," in History of Photography Vol. I, No. 1, January 1977: ... In 1822, Niépce coated a glass plate ... The sunlight passing through ... This first permanent example ... was destroyed ... some years later. |access-date=29 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091006135924/http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/wfp/heliography.html |archive-date=6 October 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1829, Niépce entered into a partnership with [[Louis Daguerre]], and the two collaborated to work out a similar, but more sensitive, and otherwise improved process.

[[File:View from the Window at Le Gras, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, uncompressed UMN source.png|thumb|left|''[[View from the Window at Le Gras]]'', 1826 by [[Joseph Nicéphore Niépce]]]]

After Niépce's death in 1833, Daguerre concentrated on [[silver halide]]-based alternatives. He exposed a silver-plated copper sheet to iodine vapor, creating a layer of light-sensitive [[silver iodide]]; exposed it in the camera for a few minutes; developed the resulting invisible [[latent image]] to visibility with mercury fumes; then bathed the plate in a hot salt solution to remove the remaining silver iodide, making the results light-fast. He named this first practical process for making photographs with a camera, the [[daguerreotype]], after himself. Its existence was announced to the world on 7 January 1839, but working details were not made public until 19 August that year. Other inventors soon made drastic improvements that reduced the required amount of exposure time from a few minutes to just a few seconds, making portrait photography truly practical and widely popular during this time.

The daguerreotype had shortcomings, notably the fragility of the mirror-like image surface and the particular viewing conditions required to see the image properly. Each was a unique, opaque positive that could only be duplicated by copying it with a camera. Inventors set about working out improved processes that would be more practical. By the end of the 1850s, the daguerreotype had been replaced by the less expensive and more easily viewed [[ambrotype]] and [[tintype]], which made use of the recently introduced [[collodion process]]. Glass plate collodion negatives used to make prints on [[Albumen print|albumen paper]] soon became the preferred photographic method and held that position for many years, even after the introduction of the more convenient [[gelatin process]] in 1871. Refinements of the gelatin process have remained the primary [[black-and-white]] photographic process to this day, differing primarily in the sensitivity of the [[photographic emulsion|emulsion]] and the support material used, which was originally glass, then a variety of [[film base|flexible plastic films]], along with various types of paper for the final prints.
[[File:Kauppatori Kolera-altaan luona - G30718 - hkm.HKMS000005-km0000phjs.jpg|thumb|The [[Market Square, Helsinki|Market Square]] of [[Helsinki]], in the 1890s]]

Color photography is almost as old as [[black-and-white]], with early experiments including [[John Herschel]]'s [[Anthotype]] prints in 1842, the pioneering work of [[Louis Ducos du Hauron]] in the 1860s, and the [[Lippmann plate|Lippmann process]] unveiled in 1891, but for many years color photography remained little more than a laboratory curiosity. It first became a widespread commercial reality with the introduction of [[Autochrome]] plates in 1907, but the plates were very expensive and not suitable for casual snapshot-taking with hand-held cameras. The mid-1930s saw the introduction of [[Kodachrome]] and [[Agfacolor|Agfacolor Neu]], the first easy-to-use color films of the modern multi-layer [[chromogenic]] type. These early processes produced transparencies for use in [[slide projector]]s and viewing devices, but color prints became increasingly popular after the introduction of chromogenic color print paper in the 1940s. The needs of the motion picture industry generated a number of special processes and systems, perhaps the best-known being the now-obsolete three-strip [[Technicolor]] process.

==Types of photographs==
[[File:A Stream of Stars over Paranal.jpg|thumb|Long-exposure photograph of the [[Very Large Telescope]]<ref>{{cite news|title=A Stream of Stars over Paranal|url=http://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1421a/|access-date=27 May 2014|newspaper=ESO Picture of the Week|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120133009/https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1421a/|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
Non-digital photographs are produced with a two-step chemical process. In the two-step process, the light-sensitive film captures a ''negative'' image (colors and lights/darks are inverted). To produce a ''positive'' image, the negative is most commonly transferred ('[[Photographic printing|printed]]') onto [[photographic paper]]. Printing the negative onto transparent film stock is used to manufacture motion picture films.

Alternatively, the film is processed to invert the ''negative'' image, yielding positive [[Transparency (photography)|transparency]]. Such positive images are usually mounted in frames, called slides. Before recent advances in digital photography, transparencies were widely used by professionals because of their sharpness and accuracy of color rendition. Most photographs published in magazines were taken on color transparency film.

Originally, all photographs were monochromatic or hand-painted in color. Although methods for developing color photos were available as early as 1861, they did not become widely available until the 1940s or 1950s, and even so, until the 1960s, most photographs were taken in black and white. Since then, [[color photography]] has dominated popular photography, although black-and-white is still used, being easier to develop than color.

[[Panoramic format]] images can be taken with cameras like the [[Hasselblad]] Xpan on standard film. Since the 1990s, panoramic photos have been available on the [[Advanced Photo System]] (APS) film. APS was developed by several of the major film manufacturers to provide a film with different formats and computerized options available, though APS panoramas were created using a mask in panorama-capable cameras, far less desirable than a true panoramic camera, which achieves its effect through a wider film format. APS has become less popular and has been discontinued.

The advent of the [[microcomputer]] and [[digital photograph]]y has led to the rise of [[Digital printing|digital prints]]. These prints are created from stored [[Graphics file format|graphic formats]] such as [[JPEG]], [[TIFF]], and [[Raw image format|RAW]]. The types of printers used include [[inkjet printer]]s, [[dye-sublimation printer]]s, [[laser printer]]s, and [[thermal printer]]s. Inkjet prints are sometimes given the coined name "[[Giclée]]".

The [[World Wide Web|Web]] has been a popular medium for storing and sharing photos ever since the first photograph was published on the web by [[Tim Berners-Lee]] in 1992 (an image of the [[CERN]] house band [[Les Horribles Cernettes]]). Today, popular sites such as [[Flickr]], [[PhotoBucket]], and [[500px]] are used by millions of people to share their pictures.

The first "selfie", or self-portrait, was taken by Robert Cornelious back in 1839.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Contrastly |date=2015-12-12 |title=The Evolution of Photography |url=https://contrastly.com/the-evolution-of-photography/ |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=Contrastly |language=en}}</ref> "Selfies" have become one of the most common photographs, especially among female young adults. Social media has become such a cultural advancement because of photography. People thrive off of the selfies of their favorite celebrities, many receive millions of likes on social media because of one simple selfie.

==Preservation==

===Paper folders===
Ideal photograph storage involves placing each photo in an individual folder constructed from buffered, or [[acid-free paper]].<ref name="Albright" /> Buffered paper folders are especially recommended in cases when a photograph was previously mounted onto poor quality material or using an [[adhesive]] that will lead to even more [[acid]] creation.<ref>Norris, Debbie Hess. "Caring for Your Photographic Collections." Library of Congress. 9 Feb. 2008, [https://www.loc.gov/preserv/care/photo.html LOC.gov] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213171731/http://www.loc.gov/preserv/care/photo.html |date=13 February 2011 }}</ref> Store photographs measuring 8x10 inches or smaller vertically along the longer edge of the photo in the buffered paper folder, within a larger archival box, and label each folder with relevant information to identify it. The rigid nature of the folder protects the photo from slumping or creasing, as long as the box is not packed too tightly or under filled. Folder larger photos or [[brittleness|brittle]] photos stacked flat within archival boxes with other materials of comparable size.<ref>"How Should I Store my Photographic Prints?" Preservation and Archives Professionals. The National Archives and Records Administration. 9 February 2008, [https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives/storing-photos.html Archives.gov] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613071636/http://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives/storing-photos.html |date=13 June 2015 }}</ref>

===Polyester enclosures===
The most stable of plastics used in photo preservation, [[polyester]], does not generate any harmful chemical elements, nor does it have any capability to absorb [[acids]] generated by the photograph itself. Polyester sleeves and encapsulation have been praised for their ability to protect the photograph from [[humidity]] and environmental [[pollutants|pollution]], slowing the reaction between the item and the atmosphere. This is true, however the polyester just as frequently traps these elements next to the material it is intended to protect. This is especially risky in a storage environment that experiences drastic fluctuations in humidity or temperature, leading to ferrotyping, or sticking of the photograph to the plastic.<ref name="Albright" /> Photographs sleeved or encapsulated in polyester cannot be stored vertically in boxes because they will slide down next to each other within the box, bending and folding, nor can the [[archivist]] write directly onto the polyester to identify the photograph. Therefore, it is necessary to either stack polyester protected photographs horizontally within a box, or bind them in a three ring binder.  Stacking the photos horizontally within a flat box will greatly reduce ease of access, and binders leave three sides of the photo exposed to the effects of light<ref name="IOS">International Organization for Standardization. ISO 18902:2001(E). [[Geneva, Switzerland]]: [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]] Office, 2007.</ref> and do not support the photograph evenly on both sides, leading to slumping and bending within the binder. The plastic used for enclosures has been manufactured to be as frictionless as possible to prevent scratching photos during insertion to the sleeves. Unfortunately, the slippery nature of the enclosure generates a build-up of [[static electricity]], which attracts [[dust]] and lint particles. The static can attract the dust to the inside of the sleeve, as well, where it can scratch the photograph.<ref name="Albright" /> Likewise, these components that aid in insertion of the photo, referred to as slip agents, can break down and transfer from the plastic to the photograph, where they deposit as an oily film, attracting further lint and dust. At this time, there is no test to evaluate the long-term effects of these components on photographs. In addition, the plastic sleeves can develop kinks or creases in the surface, which will scratch away at the [[emulsion]] during handling.<ref name="IOS" />

===Handling and care===
It is best to leave photographs lying flat on the table when viewing them. Do not pick it up from a corner, or even from two sides and hold it at eye level. Every time the photograph bends, even a little, this can break down the [[emulsion]].<ref>Baggett, James L. "Handle with Care: Photos." Alabama Librarian.
54.1 (2004): 5.</ref> The very nature of enclosing a photograph in plastic encourages users to pick it up; users tend to handle plastic enclosed photographs less gently than non-enclosed photographs, simply because they feel the plastic enclosure makes the photo impervious to all mishandling. As long as a photo is in its folder, there is no need to touch it; simply remove the folder from the box, lay it flat on the table, and open the folder. If for some reason the researchers or [[archivist]]s do need to handle the actual photo, perhaps to examine the [[recto and verso|verso]] for writing, they can use gloves if there appears to be a risk from oils or dirt on the hands.

==Myths and beliefs==
{{See also|Aniconism}}
Because [[daguerreotype]]s were rendered on a mirrored surface, many [[Spiritualism (beliefs)|spiritualist]]s also became practitioners of the new art form.  Spiritualists would claim that the human image on the mirrored surface was akin to looking into one's soul. The spiritualists also believed that it would open their souls and let demons in. Among some Muslims, it is [[makruh]] (disliked) to perform [[salah]] (worship) in a place decorated with photographs.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rizvi|first1=Sayyid|title=Your Questions Answered|page=32}}</ref> Photography and darkroom anomalies and artifacts sometimes lead viewers to believe that spirits or demons have been captured in photos. Some have made a career out of taking pictures of "ghosts" or "spirits".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/photos-that-arent-paranormal-4123060|title=Photos That AREN'T Paranormal|website=thoughtco.com|access-date=7 May 2018|archive-date=17 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417215741/https://www.thoughtco.com/photos-that-arent-paranormal-4123060|url-status=live}}</ref> There are many instances where people believe photos will bring bad luck either to the person taking the picture or people captured in the photo. For instance, a photograph taken of a pregnant woman will bring bad luck to the baby in the womb and photos taken of dead people will ensure that person is not successful in the afterlife.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chevelle |first=Chelle |date=2023-08-07 |title=Superstitions About Photography |url=https://thefundamentalsofphotography.medium.com/superstitions-about-photography-8abc29a3c7c2 |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref> 

==Legality==
{{Main|Photography and the law}}
The production or distribution of certain types of photograph has been forbidden under modern laws, such as those of government buildings,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_ind.nsf/CurChinOrd/2CA179D1C0FB6AB58825648C0004F49E?OpenDocument |title=Hong Kong e-Legislation |publisher=[[Government of Hong Kong]] |access-date=20 September 2017 |archive-date=10 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010000533/http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_ind.nsf/CurChinOrd/2CA179D1C0FB6AB58825648C0004F49E?OpenDocument |url-status=live }}</ref> highly classified regions,<ref>Masco, Joseph. ""Sensitive but Unclassified": Secrecy and the Counterterrorist State." Public Culture 22.3 (2010): 433–463.</ref> private property, [[copyright]]ed works,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Deazley |first=Ronan |title=Photography, copyright, and the South Kensington experiment |journal=Intellectual Property Quarterly |volume=3 |year=2010 |pages=293–311}}</ref><ref>Turnbull, Bruce H. "Important legal developments regarding protection of copyrighted content against unauthorized copying." IEEE Communications Magazine 39.8 (2001): 92–100.</ref> children's [[genitalia]],<ref>Slane, Andrea. "From scanning to sexting: The scope of protection of dignity-based privacy in Canadian child pornography law." Osgoode Hall Law Journal 48 (2010): 543.</ref> child pornography and less commonly [[pornography]] overall.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=Max |last2=Quayle |first2=Ethel |last3=Holland |first3=Gemma  |title=Child pornography, the Internet and offending |journal=ISUMA - the Canadian Journal of Policy Research |volume=2 |issue=2 |year=2001 |pages=94–100}}</ref> These laws vary greatly between jurisdictions.

In some public property owned by government, such as law courts,<ref>{{cite web |title=Hong Kong e-Legislation |url=http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_ind.nsf/CurChinOrd/2CA179D1C0FB6AB58825648C0004F49E?OpenDocument |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010000533/http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_ind.nsf/CurChinOrd/2CA179D1C0FB6AB58825648C0004F49E?OpenDocument |archive-date=10 October 2016 |access-date=20 September 2017 |website=www.legislation.gov.hk}}</ref> government buildings, libraries, civic centres <ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.hk/provision?OpenAgent&lang=C&cap=132F&type=s&num=9C&date=01.01.2000 "Civic Centres Regulation"] Government of Hong Kong</ref><ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.hk/chi/home.htm?SearchTerm=%u651D%u5F71 "Civic Centres Regulation Filming"] Government of Hong Kong</ref> and some of the museums in Hong Kong, photography is not allowed without permission from the government. It is illegal to equip or take photographs and recording in a place of public entertainment, such as cinemas and indoor theaters.<ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_ind.nsf/D2769881999F47B3482564840019D2F9/4E40071D1BE246DF48256A2300116317?OpenDocument "Prevention Of Copyright Piracy Ordinance"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009235442/http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_ind.nsf/D2769881999F47B3482564840019D2F9/4E40071D1BE246DF48256A2300116317?OpenDocument|date=2016-10-09}} Government of Hong Kong</ref><ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_pdf.nsf/6799165D2FEE3FA94825755E0033E532/16761F09FAAFFF09482575EF00180699/$FILE/CAP_544_c_b5.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009235421/http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_pdf.nsf/6799165D2FEE3FA94825755E0033E532/16761F09FAAFFF09482575EF00180699/$FILE/CAP_544_c_b5.pdf|date=2016-10-09}} Government of Hong Kong</ref> In Hungary, from 15 March 2014 when the long-awaited Civil Code was published, the law re-stated what had been normal practice, namely, that a person had the right to refuse being photographed. However, [[implied consent]] exists: it is not illegal to photograph a person who does not actively object.<ref>{{cite web |title=Xpat Opinion: What's Up With The New Civil Code & Press Photographs? - Xpatloop.com - Expat Life In Budapest, Hungary - Current affairs |url=http://www.xpatloop.com/news/xpat_opinion_whats_up_with_the_new_civil_code_and_press_photographs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921050446/http://www.xpatloop.com/news/xpat_opinion_whats_up_with_the_new_civil_code_and_press_photographs |archive-date=21 September 2017 |access-date=20 September 2017 |website=www.xpatloop.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Nolan |first=Daniel |date=14 March 2014 |title=Hungary law requires photographers to ask permission to take pictures |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/14/hungary-law-photography-permission-take-pictures |url-status=live |access-date=20 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410140322/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/14/hungary-law-photography-permission-take-pictures |archive-date=10 April 2014}}</ref>

In [[South Africa]] photographing people in public is legal.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Burchell |first=Jonathan |year=2009 |title=The Legal Protection of Privacy in South Africa: A Transplantable Hybrid |url=https://www.ejcl.org//131/art131-2.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Electronic Journal of Comparative Law |volume=13 |issue=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207084836/http://www.ejcl.org/131/art131-2.pdf |archive-date=2013-12-07 |access-date=2017-03-02}}</ref> Reproducing and selling photographs of people is legal for editorial and limited fair use commercial purposes. There exists no case law to define what the limits on commercial use are. In the United Kingdom there are no laws forbidding photography of private property from a public place.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Photographers Rights And The Law In The UK - the law and photography |url=http://www.urban75.org/photos/photographers-rights-and-the-law.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202232924/http://www.urban75.org/photos/photographers-rights-and-the-law.html |archive-date=2021-12-02 |access-date=2017-01-19 |website=www.urban75.org}}</ref> Persistent and aggressive photography of a single individual may come under the legal definition of [[harassment]].<ref>''Linda Macpherson LL.B, Dip.L.P., LL.M'' – [http://www.sirimo.co.uk/ukpr.php The UK Photographers Rights Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428202818/http://www.sirimo.co.uk/ukpr.php/|date=2009-04-28}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">Mosley v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2008] EWHC 1777 (QB)</ref><ref>Campbell v Mirror Group Newspapers Ltd [2004] UKHL 22</ref><ref>Murray v Express Newspapers Plc [2008] EWCA Civ 446</ref> A [[right to privacy]] came into existence in UK law as a consequence of the incorporation of the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] into domestic law through the [[Human Rights Act 1998]]. This can result in restrictions on the publication of photography.<ref>[[Human Rights Act 1998]] sections 2 & 3</ref><ref>[[Human Rights Act 1998]] Schedule 1, Part 1, Article 8</ref>

==See also==
*[[Aerial photography]]
*[[Archival science]]
*[[Cinematographer]]
*[[Conservation and restoration of photographs]]
*[[Hand-colouring of photographs]]
*[[List of largest photographs]]
*[[List of most expensive photographs]]
*[[List of photographs considered the most important]]
*[[Photogram]]
*[[Pseudo-photograph]]
*[[Slide show]]

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Albright">{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maker.photopipcollagemaker|title=5.6 Storage Enclosures for Photographic Materials|access-date=16 January 2017|archive-date=17 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917214545/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maker.photopipcollagemaker|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Photographs}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline|photograph}}

{{photography subject}}
{{Visualization}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Photographs| 01]]
[[Category:Photography|*01]]
[[Category:Visual arts media]]