Photography involves the act of drawing or recording images with the use of light on unexposed films. For this purpose, the major equipment is a camera. Cameras are in different types. The commonest type is the one that takes still pictures. Next to it is the cine-camera which records motion pictures. Cameras are usually equipped with apertures which regulate the amount of light that reaches the unexposed film. This is necessary because if the light which gets to the film while the picture is being taken is too much, the print will be over-exposed and white. On the other hand, if the light is too little, the print will be under-exposed and dark.

A photographer, who may either be an amateur or a professional, should load and unload films into his camera in a dark place where light will not get to the film. If he is a professional, he can use the darkroom in his studio. Films which are so loaded should be developed into negatives in the darkroom. Prints produced from such negatives can either be made glossy or matte.

A careful photographer may want to put his camera on a tripod to ensure that it is steady, otherwise the picture will be blurred. He may also want to take the picture of a distant object in which case, he needs to use a telephoto lens. He can also attach a flash gun to his camera to enable him to take pictures in dark places or at night.