The Camera

1. Inside of a dark room, there was a whole in the wall that acted as a camera lens by focusing light. The outside scene was projected upside down on the wall inside of the room. This was known as the "camera obscura" or "dark room" in latin. This was the first camera.

2. During the 17th century, Isaac Newton and Christian Huygens invented the high quality glass lens, which got man one step closer to creating the modern camera.

3. A glass lens, a dark box, and film were the parts of the first modern camera invented by Niepce.

4. Just like Niepce's camera, modern digital cameras still have light pass through the lens, into the camera, expose the film, and create a photograph.

5. Digital cameras use an electronic sensor called a CCD to capture an image.

6. On auto mode the camera will completely control flash and exposure, while on program mode you can control flash and a few other camera settings.

7. Portrait mode is an attempt to blur out the background. The camera will use the fastest available lens setting (aperture).

8. Sports mode freezes motion for action shots. The camera will use the highest shutter speed possible.

9. A half press gives you a faster camera response time, more control over focus, and encourages better composition.

10. This symbol means no flash. It can be used to make the photo more dramatic by using its natural light.

11. This symbol means auto-flash. It means the camera will automatically use flash if it thinks the photo needs more light.

12. Too much light means your picture will be washed out.

13. Not enough light will make your picture too dark.

14. The term "stop" means a relative change in the brightness of light.

15. The new planet would be one stop brighter if there was two suns instead of one.

16. The new planet would be two stops brighter if there was four suns instead of two.

17. Longer shutter speed means more light.

18. Shorter shutter speed means less light.

19. The aperture acts as a pupil by allowing the light to reach the film.

20. When adjusting the aperture, you increase the amount of light by moving from f22 to f2.8.