PHOTOGRAPHY.
The word photography comes from two ancient Greek words: photo, for "light," and graph, for "drawing." "Drawing with light" is a way of describing photography. When a photograph is made, light or some other form of radiant energy, such as X rays, is used to record a picture of an object or scene on a light-sensitive surface. Early photographs were called sun pictures, because sunlight itself was used to create the image. Mankind has been a maker of images at least since the cave paintings of some 20,000 years ago. With the invention of photography, a realistic image that would have taken a skilled artist hours or even days to draw could be recorded in exact detail within a fraction of a second.
Today, photography has become a powerful means of communication and a mode of visual expression that touches human life in many ways. For example, photography has become popular as a means of crystallizing memories. Most of the billions of photographs taken today are snapshots--casual records to document personal events such as vacations, birthdays, and weddings.
Photographs are used extensively by newspapers, magazines, books, and television to convey information and advertise products and services. Practical applications of photography are found in nearly every human endeavor from astronomy to medical diagnosis to industrial quality control. Photography extends human vision into the realm of objects that are invisible because they are too small or too distant, or events that occur too rapidly for the naked eye to detect. A camera can be used in locations too dangerous for humans. Photographs can also be objects of art that explore the human condition and provide aesthetic pleasure. For millions of people, photography is a satisfying hobby or a rewarding career. Photography as Art Today photography is widely recognized as a fine art. Photographs are displayed in art museums, prized by collectors, discussed by critics, and studied in art history courses. Because of the special nature of photography, however, this was not always the case. In the early days of photography some people considered the medium something of a poor relation to the older, established visual arts, such as drawing and painting. The arguments stemmed from the fact that a camera is a mechanical instrument. Because the mechanical procedure of taking a picture is automatic, detractors claimed that photography required no coordination of hand and eye and none of the manual skills essential to drawing and painting. They also argued that photography required no creativity or imagination because the photographic subject was "ready-made" and did not require manipulation or control by the photographer. A camera, no matter how many automatic features it may have, is a lifeless piece of equipment until a person uses it. It then becomes a uniquely responsive tool--an extension of the photographer's eye and mind. A photographer creates a picture by a process of selection. Photographers looking through the camera's viewfinder must decide what to include and what to exclude from the scene. They select the distance from which to take the picture and the precise angle that best suits their purpose. They select the instant in which to trip the shutter. This decision may require hours of patient waiting until the light is exactly right or it may be a split-second decision, but the photographer's sense of timing is always crucial. Photographers can expand or flatten perspective by the use of certain lenses. They can freeze motion or record it as a blur, depending on their choice of shutter speed. They can create an infinite number of lighting effects with flashes or floodlights. They can alter the tonal values or colors in a picture by their choice of film and filters. These are only a few of the controls available to a photographer when taking a picture. Later, in the darkroom, many additional choices are available.
One of the best ways to view artistic photographs is to visit museums. Today most art museums include photography exhibitions, and many have a photography department and a permanent collection of photographic prints. This is a relatively recent development. Another great way to view photographs is to look at a quality magaznie like National Geograpics

7 Basic Elements of Photography
Composition
* Composition is the arrangement of objects in a photograph. There are various guidelines and artistic conventions that attempt to describe what makes a good composition. The most widely recognized of these is the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds involves dividing the rectangular frame of the photograph into nine equally-sized sections using two imaginary vertical lines and two imaginary horizontal lines. The photographer then tries to align the main objects of the photograph along the lines or at their points of intersection. This is believed to create a balanced and aesthetically pleasing composition.
Texture
* Texture is a property of a photograph that inspires a sense of tactility in the observer: the photograph makes you want to reach in and touch it. The texture will involve the detailed surface properties of the object or objects depicted in the photograph. These can be irregularities in the surface of a piece of wood or the complexity of a patterned fabric. * Sponsored Links * SSL Certificates - thawte
Choose from a complete range of certificates with the strongest SSL www.thawte.com Depth * Depth is the creation of a sense of three-dimensionality in a photograph. A sense of depth is created using focus, framing and angles. Focus involves zooming in on particular objects so they are crisp and clear and other objects are blurry and unclear. Framing involves identifying an obvious foreground object close to the camera, with the main subject of the photograph further away.
Line
* Lines are the outlines of objects in a photograph. The lines of a photograph guide the eyes of the viewer around the photograph, and a photograph with interesting lines seizes the viewer's attention. Different lines can be used to convey different moods. Horizontal lines can be used to convey a sense of rest or stability. Vertical lines can be used to convey many different moods, such as power, strength and growth. Diagonal lines convey action and dynamism.
Light
* At its most basic level a camera is a device for capturing and recording light, therefore patterns of light and shade are the most basic elements of any photograph. A photographer needs a deep understanding of how light affects the operation of a camera and how light affects the photograph produced by that camera. Key issues to consider are the level of light and the angle of light. The level of light in a photograph affects the level of detail visible in light or dark areas in the photograph: if the camera is exposed to a high level of light shaded areas will seem darker. The angle of light refers to the location of the original source of light in the photograph and determines the distribution of shadows in the photograph.
Patterns and Shape * Our minds automatically organize the things we see into patterns and shapes. Patterns and shapes can be aesthetically pleasing and draw attention to a photograph.There are three important aspects of patterns and shape: rhythm, symmetry and triangles. Rhythm is where a shape is repeated in a photograph. Symmetry is when a photograph looks like it consists of two objects that are mirror images of each other. Symmetry can be subverted so the two objects are similar but not quite alike, which can be used to highlight difference and contrast. Triangles are formed within a photograph by two diagonal lines. These draw the viewer into the photograph and make the photograph more interesting.
Vantage Point * The vantage point is the position from which the photograph was taken. It is the point of view of the viewer of the photograph. Different vantage points can convey different relationships with the objects depicted in the photograph. Viewed from a low vantage point looking up at an object conveys dominance, power and authority. Viewing from a level vantage point conveys neutrality and objectivity. A vantage point above and looking down on the object suggests vulnerability and weakness.
Ten simple tips in taking photos

Benefits of Photography
Photography is the act of taking pictures for sentimental reasons, as a hobby or keeping informed with new events. Similarly, taking pictures help us to stay in touch with past events, thereby enables you to appreciate history.
1. For legal reasons
Taking photographs for practical reasons actually refers to the act of using photographs to verify certain circumstances. You may take photographs of your personal property to act as proof of ownership in case of burglary. Similarly, photographs of crime scenes and car accidents can be used as evidence in legal proceedings.
2. Pictures as news and history
Most people use photography as a tool to keep in touch with past events. Looking at photographs taken in the past helps to improve our knowledge on how we relate to past events. For instance, the media often use photography as a tool to convey their message, since it has an effect that is not possible to express in words.
3. Used in making videos and films
The film and entertainment industry need knowledge of image-making techniques. Photography skills are extremely useful in producing videos, films or pictures. With advancement in technology, you can also create amazing visual effects in moving pictures or still images, depending on your preference.
4. Publication purposes
Commercial photographers have the ability to create pictures of subjects such as fashion, people, models, architecture, artifacts, and merchandise used for making publications in reports, books, catalogs and advertisements.
5. Career opportunities
Photography actually provides a wide scope of career opportunities particularly in the field of journalism. These might also include travel opportunities, capturing unique or high profile images.
6. Photography and medicine
Photography is also beneficial in the field of medicine and is used in many applications, including x-rays and body scanners.
Although there are no drawbacks of photography, digital photos remain inadmissible in court since it is vulnerable to tampering.

Two-Dimensional Art
Two-dimensional art consists of paintings, drawings, prints, and photographs, which differ from each other primarily in the technique of their execution. Probably, our initial response to all four is a response to subject matter--that is, we first notice what the painting, drawing, print, or photograph is about. Such recognition leads us into the work's meaning and begins to shape our response to it. Beyond the recognition of subject, however, lie the technical elements chosen by artists to make their vision appear the way they wish it to appear, and these include MEDIA and COMPOSITION.
Media
The media of the two-dimensional arts are paintings, drawings, prints, and photography. Paintings and drawings can be executed with oils, watercolors, tempera, acrylics, ink, and pencils, to name a few of the more obvious. Each physical medium has its own characteristics. As an example, let us look at oils.
Oils are one of the most popular of the painting media and have been since their development around the beginning of the fifteenth century. They offer artists a broad range of color possibilities; they do not dry quickly and can, therefore, be reworked; they present many options for textural manipulation; and they are durable. Look at the texture in the brushwork of Van Gogh's (van-GOH or van GAHK) The Starry Night (see Fig. 16.21). This kind of manipulation is a characteristic of oil. Whatever the physical medium--that is, painting, drawing, print, or photograph--we can find identifiable characteristics that shape the final work of art. Had the artist chosen a different physical medium, the work--all other things being equal--would not look the same.
Composition
The second area we can isolate and respond to involves artists' use of the elements and principles of composition. These are the building blocks of two-dimensional works of art. Among others, these elements and principles include LINE, FORM, COLOR, REPETITION, and BALANCE.
Elements
The primary element of composition is line. In Joan Miró's (hoh-AHN mee-ROH) Composition (Fig. 0.5) we see amorphous shapes. Some of these are like cartoon figures--identifiable because of their outline--but the other shapes also exemplify line, and they do so because they create boundaries between areas of color and between other shapes or forms. Essentially, line is either curved or straight, and it is used by artists to control our vision and to create unity, emotional value, and, ultimately, meaning.

0.6 Color wheel.
Form and line are closely related. Form as a compositional element is the SHAPE of an object. It is the space described by line. A building is a form. So is a tree. We perceive them as buildings or trees, and we perceive their individual details, because of the line by which they are composed. Color is a somewhat complex compositional element. The word HUES is used to describe the basic colors of the spectrum (Fig. 0.6). The apparent whiteness or grayness of a color is its VALUE(Fig. 0.7). When we observe a work of art, we can, among other aspects of color, identify, respond to, and describe the breadth of the palette--how many different hues and values the artist has used--and the way the artist has used those hues and values.

0.7 Value scale.
Principles
The principles of composition include repetition (how the elements of the picture are repeated or alternated) and balance (how the picture stands on its axes). In Picasso's (pee-KAH-soh) Girl Before a Mirror (Fig. 0.8), the artist has ordered the recurrence of elements in a regular manner. He has placed hard angles and soft curves side by side, and, in addition, has used two geometric forms, the oval and the diamond, over and over again to build up the forms of the work. He also has balanced the picture with nearly identical shapes on each side of the central axis. When identical shapes and colors appear on either side of the axis, it creates a condition called SYMMETRY. Balance achieved by using unequal shapes, as in Figures 0.5 and 0.8, indicates asymmetry, the balancing of unlike objects--also called psychological balance.

Linear Perspective
Throughout the text, we will witness how two-dimensional artists utilize "deep space"--that is, the illusion of depth in their works. One of the methods for creating deep space that appears rational or NATURALISTIC is the use of LINEAR PERSPECTIVE (Fig. 0.9). Very simply, linear perspective is the creation of the illusion of distance in a two-dimensional artwork through the convention of line and foreshortening-- that is, the illusion that parallel lines come together in the distance. Linear perspective is also called scientific,mathematical one-point, or Renaissance perspective and was developed in fifteenth-century Italy (see Chapter 10). It uses mathematical formulas to construct illusionistic images in which all elements are shaped by imaginary lines called orthogonals that converge in one or more vanishing points on a horizon line. Linear perspective is the system most people in the Euro-American cultures think of as perspective, because it is the visual code they are accustomed to seeing.

Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it.
USES:
Engraving in Printing
Engraving is often used for printing. Most paper money produced right now is engraved, and wedding invites, personalized stationery, business playing cards and birth announcements are commonly custom ordered and engraved. The words and designs to be printed are engraved in a metal die, and the grooves are full of ink. The die is then pressed to a card or paper, transferring the ink onto the paper. If you run your fingertips over the paper, you possibly can really feel the raised ink of the letters.
Laser Engraving
Laser engraving is presently a popular form of engraving. A laser is used to cut designs into the surface of the thing being engraved. It’s easier to get into small or difficult spots with a laser than with a hand tool.
Photo Engraving
Photoengraving also known as photo-chemical milling is a process of engraving using photographic processing techniques. The full form of photoengraving is photo mechanical process in the graphic arts, used principally for reproducing illustrations. The subject is photographed, and the image is recorded on a sensitized metal plate, which is then etched in an acid bath.
ETCHING
is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface
USES:
Aquatint etching
Aquatint uses acid-resistant resin to achieve tonal effects.
Soft-ground etching
Soft-ground etching uses a special softer ground. The artist places a piece of paper (or cloth etc. in modern uses) over the ground and draws on it. The print resembles a drawing.
Photo etch
To engrave, or make an engraving of, by any photomechanical process

Commercial art is the art of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarilyadvertising.
Billboard
A billboard (sometimes also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a largeoutdoor advertisingstructure (a billing board), typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present largeadvertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers. Typically showing large, ostensibly witty slogans, and distinctive visuals, billboards are highly visible in the top designated market areas. Bulletins are the largest, most impactful[citation needed]standard-size billboards. Located primarily on major highways, expressways or principal arterials, they command high-density consumer exposure (mostly to vehicular traffic). Bulletins afford greatest visibility due not only to their size, but because they allow creative "customizing" through extensions and embellishments.
Posters are the other common form of billboard advertising, located chiefly in commercial and industrial areas on primary and secondary arterial roads. Posters are a smaller format than bulletins and are viewed principally by residents and commuter traffic, with some pedestrian exposure.
Types of billboards Digital billboard A digital billboard is a billboard that is created from computer programs and software.
Inflatable billboard inflatable billboard is an inflatable framework with an attached banner ad
Multi Purpose Billboard
Some billboards are not used only for advertising ends; they can be multi-purpose, meaning that they can have more than one function.

Product packaging labels

Labels are produced for a variety of applications, including Food Packaging, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Computer Hardware and Software, and generally any product that requires packaging and labeling. We are capable of producing your most sophisticated and unique label design by combining an unlimited number of standard or custom sizes and shapes, colors, materials, and options. Labels. are produced with stringent quality standards in sheets, rolls, or fanfolded for manual or automatic application.

Packaging offers the opportunity to:

Protect the Product * Reduce costs due to breakage. * Protect the product in transit: for example breakable or perishable items such as perfume, light bulbs or food. * Protect the product on the shelf: from theft, damage or tampering (i.e., pharmaceuticals or CDs).
Promote the Product * Complement other promotional activities. * Communicate information: core benefits, “why to buy” testimonials, Internet addresses and toll-free telephone numbers, for products like tools or software. * Display the product: attach to display hardware or stand upright as with gloves or cell phones.
Provide Additional Value and Differentiation * To provide increased purchase justification. * Dispense the product: ease of use or the size of recommended portions, as with spray paint, hair care products, etc. * Preserve the product: seal and reseal perishables. Examples are food products and cleaning supplies. * Offer consumer safety: warn of hazards due to improper use of dangerous substances (such as the information on cigarette packaging) or design considerations (such as not standing on the top step of a ladder). * Serve other uses: containers that can be used for other after-purchase purposes. Film canisters might carry a couple days’ vitamins or aspirin in a backpack. A current foldable bicycle ships and travels in a suitcase, which then converts into a trailer to be pulled behind the bike.
Retail products purchased on an impulsive basis depend heavily on packaging to communicate information and encourage a buy decision. Music CDs, perfume, and software are examples of this. An increasing number of products are purchased without the assistance from a store employee, magnifying the opportunity and impact of the package.
Well-designed packages offer a promotional tool and convenience value to the user. This can result in another form of product differentiation. Packaging can offer after-purchase value to store the product, or be used for other uses. Razors that are packaged in travel cases are an example of this.

Print Advertising
Definition
* Print advertising is the dissemination of advertising messages using visual, printed items.
Types
* Print advertising can include billboards, newspapers, catalogs, mailers, flyers and magazine ads.
Considerations
* For many small companies, the cost of print advertising is far too expensive. For example, the cost of submitting a billboard or magazine advertisement can be as much as $25,000 to $50,000 per ad.
Benefits
* An optimal combination of images, colors, and text in a print ad can help build brand awareness, especially when the same combination is used over and over again in subsequent ads.
Expert Insight * There is a trend of companies spending less money on print advertising and more on online advertising.