Photograph

A photograph (often just photo) is an image (or a representation of that on e.g. paper) created by collecting and focusing electromagnetic radiation. The most common photographs are those created of visible wavelengths, producing permanent records of what the human eye can see.

A photograph is taken using photographic film loaded into a traditional film camera or using a CCD or CMOS chip in a digital camera. Most traditional (analog) photographs are produced with a two-step process. In the two-step process, the film holds a negative image (colors and lights/darks are inverted), which is then transferred onto photographic paper as a positive image. Another widely used film is the positive film used for producing slides.

Different formats of film exist. Panorama sized images can be taken by using special cameras like the Hasselblad Xpan on standard film.

Digital photos can be stored in various file formats, of which JPEG is the most popular. Many other graphic formats are used, including TIFF, PNG, GIF, and RAW.

Some photographs are forbidden, e.g. representing child pornography and those that are considered espionage.

See also: photo archive, photography, digital photography, photographer, pseudo-photograph, Voyager Golden Record, Wikipedia:Featured pictures, Wikipedians/Photographers