Title: Photography Basics — LearnCoachAssist

Q: What is photography?
A: Photography is the art and science of creating images by recording light, either electronically using digital sensors or chemically using film.

Q: What does the term 'photography' mean etymologically?
A: Photography comes from Greek roots 'phos' (light) and 'graphé' (drawing), meaning 'drawing with light'.

Q: What are the three fundamental elements of the exposure triangle?
A: The exposure triangle consists of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, which together control the brightness and quality of an image.

Q: What is a camera?
A: A camera is a light-tight device that captures images by focusing light onto a sensor or film through a lens.

Q: What is the difference between analog and digital photography?
A: Analog photography uses film to chemically record light, while digital photography uses electronic sensors to capture and store images as data files.

Q: What are the main types of cameras for beginners?
A: Common beginner cameras include point-and-shoot compacts, smartphone cameras, mirrorless cameras, and entry-level DSLRs.

Q: What is a DSLR camera?
A: A DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) uses a mirror and optical viewfinder to show the exact scene seen by the lens before capture.

Q: What is a mirrorless camera?
A: A mirrorless camera lacks a mirror, using an electronic viewfinder or LCD screen to preview the image in real-time.

Q: What is the role of the camera sensor?
A: The sensor converts light into electrical signals, creating a digital image; larger sensors like full-frame capture more light and detail.

Q: What is the shutter in a camera?
A: The shutter is a mechanism that controls the duration of light exposure to the sensor, determining motion blur.

Q: What does the viewfinder do?
A: The viewfinder allows the photographer to compose the shot and see focus; it can be optical in DSLRs or electronic in mirrorless cameras.

Q: What is the purpose of the camera lens?
A: The lens focuses light rays onto the sensor or film to form a sharp image, with different focal lengths affecting field of view.

Q: What is focal length?
A: Focal length is the distance from the lens to the sensor when focused on infinity, measured in millimeters; shorter lengths widen the view, longer narrow it.

Q: What is the difference between prime and zoom lenses?
A: Prime lenses have a fixed focal length for sharper images and wider apertures, while zoom lenses offer variable focal lengths for versatility.

Q: What do f-stops measure?
A: F-stops measure aperture size, where lower numbers like f/2.8 allow more light and shallower depth of field.

Q: What is aperture?
A: Aperture is the opening in the lens that controls light intake and depth of field; wider apertures create blurred backgrounds.

Q: What is shutter speed?
A: Shutter speed is the time the shutter remains open, measured in seconds or fractions; fast speeds freeze motion, slow ones blur it.

Q: What is ISO?
A: ISO measures sensor sensitivity to light; low ISO (e.g., 100) for bright conditions, high ISO (e.g., 3200) for low light but with more noise.

Q: How do aperture, shutter speed, and ISO interact?
A: They balance exposure: widening aperture or slowing shutter speed lets in more light, as does raising ISO, but each affects depth of field, motion, and noise.

Q: What is depth of field?
A: Depth of field (DOF) is the range of distance in a scene that appears sharp; shallow DOF from wide apertures isolates subjects.

Q: What is exposure?
A: Exposure is the total light reaching the sensor, determined by aperture, shutter speed, and ISO for proper image brightness.

Q: What is overexposure and underexposure?
A: Overexposure makes images too bright with lost highlights; underexposure makes them too dark with lost shadows.

Q: What is the rule of thirds in composition?
A: The rule of thirds divides the frame into a 3x3 grid, placing key elements along lines or intersections for balanced, dynamic compositions.

Q: What are leading lines?
A: Leading lines are natural or artificial lines that guide the viewer's eye through the image to the main subject.

Q: What is framing in photography?
A: Framing uses elements like windows or branches to enclose the subject, adding context and focus.

Q: What is the rule of space?
A: The rule of space leaves empty area in the direction of subject movement or gaze, creating a sense of direction.

Q: What is symmetry in composition?
A: Symmetry centers subjects evenly for balanced, formal images, often using reflections or architecture.

Q: What are patterns and textures?
A: Patterns repeat elements for visual interest; textures add tactile quality, enhanced by side lighting.

Q: What is negative space?
A: Negative space is empty area around the subject, emphasizing it and creating minimalist compositions.

Q: What is the golden ratio?
A: The golden ratio (1:1.618) is a spiral-based composition guide more organic than the rule of thirds for natural flow.

Q: What is white balance?
A: White balance adjusts colors to make whites neutral under different light sources like daylight or tungsten.

Q: What are the main shooting modes?
A: Modes include Auto (camera decides), Program (P, auto exposure balance), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), and Manual (M, full control).

Q: What is metering?
A: Metering measures scene light for correct exposure; modes include evaluative, center-weighted, and spot.

Q: What is autofocus (AF)?
A: Autofocus automatically adjusts lens focus; single (AF-S) for static, continuous (AF-C) for moving subjects.

Q: What is manual focus?
A: Manual focus lets the photographer turn the lens ring for precise control, useful in low light or macro.

Q: What is natural light?
A: Natural light comes from the sun or sky; golden hour (sunrise/sunset) provides soft, warm illumination.

Q: What is the three-point lighting setup?
A: Three-point lighting uses key (main), fill (shadow softener), and rim/back (separation) lights for professional portraits.

Q: What is a histogram?
A: A histogram graphs tonal distribution; it helps assess exposure, with peaks indicating shadows, midtones, and highlights.

Q: What is RAW vs JPEG?
A: RAW files retain unprocessed sensor data for editing flexibility; JPEG is compressed with baked-in processing for smaller files.

Q: What is a tripod used for?
A: A tripod stabilizes the camera to prevent shake, essential for long exposures, low light, or sharp macro shots.

Q: What is the sunny 16 rule?
A: The Sunny 16 rule states that on a sunny day, use f/16 aperture and 1/ISO shutter speed (e.g., ISO 100 at 1/100s).

Q: What is hyperfocal distance?
A: Hyperfocal distance is the closest focus point where everything from half that distance to infinity is sharp.

Q: What is bokeh?
A: Bokeh is the aesthetic quality of blurred out-of-focus areas, achieved with wide apertures and long lenses.

Q: What is flash photography?
A: Flash provides artificial light; TTL auto-exposes, while manual controls power for fill or main light.

Q: What is high dynamic range (HDR)?
A: HDR combines multiple exposures to capture wide tonal range, ideal for high-contrast scenes like landscapes.

Q: What is focus stacking?
A: Focus stacking merges images at different focus points for greater depth of field, common in macro photography.

Q: What is noise in images?
A: Noise is grainy artifacts from high ISO or long exposures; reduced by lower ISO, noise reduction, or better sensors.

Q: What is lens flare?
A: Lens flare is light streaks from sun in frame; use lens hoods or position sun behind objects to minimize.

Q: What are common file formats for photos?
A: Formats include JPEG (compressed, web-ready), RAW (editable), PNG (lossless, transparent), and TIFF (high-quality print).

Q: What is basic post-processing?
A: Post-processing adjusts exposure, color, contrast, and cropping in software like Lightroom to enhance images without altering reality.

Q: What is the stop in photography?
A: A stop doubles or halves light: one stop wider aperture (f/4 to f/2.8), faster shutter (1/100 to 1/200), or ISO change (200 to 400).