A photo, also called a photograph, is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic sensor. The process and art of creating photographs is called photography. The word “photo” comes from the Greek φωτός (phōtos), genitive of φῶς (phōs), “light” and γράφειν (graphéin) meaning “to draw, to write”, together meaning “drawing with light”.
Photographs are often prized as precious keepsakes and can evoke powerful emotions in the viewer even when the subjects themselves are long gone. Aesthetically, a well-composed photograph can be powerfully moving, evoking feelings of joy, sadness, nostalgia, or wonder. Photographs may also have political impact; for example, they may be used to document and publicize human rights abuses or act as evidence in court cases.
Nowadays we take photos with our phones all the time – but it wasn’t always so easy! Early cameras were large and bulky affairs which needed a lot of light to work properly. This meant that most photos were taken outdoors during the daytime. As technology progressed, smaller cameras were developed which could be used in more low-light situations. In 1884 George Eastman invented roll film, which made taking multiple pictures much easier – before this people had to painstakingly load each frame of film into the camera one at a time.
With digital cameras becoming increasingly popular in the 21st century, anyone can now be a photographer with just a few clicks of a button!