Photography is the art, application and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation , either electronically by means of an image sensor , or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film . It is employed in many fields of science, manufacturing (e.g., photolithography ), and business, as well as its more direct uses for art, film and video production, recreational purposes, hobby, and mass communication. [1] Photography Lens and mounting of a large-format camera Other names Science or art of creating durable images Types Recording light or other electromagnetic radiation Inventor Thomas Wedgwood (1800) Related Stereoscopic, Full-spectrum, Light field, Electrophotography, Photograms, Scanner Typically, a lens is used to focus the light reflected or emitted from objects into a real image on the light-sensitive surface inside a camera during a timed exposure . With an electronic imag