photography

American  

[fuh-tog-ruh-fee] / fəˈtɒg rə fi /

noun

• photographies
  plural

1. the process or art of producing images of objects on sensitized surfaces by the chemical action of light or of other forms of radiant energy, as x-rays, gamma rays, or cosmic rays.

2. cinematography.

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photography British  

/ fəˈtɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

1. the process of recording images on sensitized material by the action of light, X-rays, etc, and the chemical processing of this material to produce a print, slide, or cine film

2. the art, practice, or occupation of taking and printing photographs, making cine films, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• multiphotography
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• photographies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of photography

First recorded in 1839; photo- + -graphy

Explanation

Photography is the art or process of taking pictures using a camera. If you're very interested in photography, you might want to learn how to develop your own film in a darkroom. You should also practice yelling "Say cheese!" The word photography combines Greek roots phōtos, "light," and graphé, "represent by drawing lines" — so photography is essentially "drawing with light." Since it was invented in the 19th century, the art of capturing images using light has expanded far beyond what the original photographers could have imagined. Today many of us practice photography using our phones. Other advances through the years have included color film, instant photographs, and digital photography, among many others.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

photography

The singer noted to the outlet that he has dedicated himself to preserving the work of Black artists, filling his home with various displays, from photography to sculpture.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

She is a journalism and mass-communication student with a minor in photography at the George Washington University.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Lamy said he loved to take pictures in his free time and his passion was street photography.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

In a bright spot, FilmLA’s “other” category, which captures shoot days for student productions, still photography, documentaries and music videos, climbed 10% in the second quarter to 2,118 days.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Beatrice’s stepbrother had many special talents, but nature photography obviously wasn’t one of them.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen