Photography is the fundamental process of creating images by recording light patterns, either reflected or emitted from objects, onto a photosensitive medium or digital sensor using a camera. Its applications are remarkably diverse, encompassing highly technical scientific fields like astrophotography, chronophotography, and advanced medical imaging techniques such as MRI and ultrasound. Commercially, photography is indispensable for fashion, food, sports, and wedding documentation, famously epitomized by concepts like the "Kodak girl."
Beyond its practical uses, photography plays vital social and political roles, serving as a powerful tool for photojournalism, documenting historical events, and even propaganda or conservation efforts. It also delves into personal expression and human desire through genres like erotic, glamour, and nude photography. Ultimately, photography's pervasive influence makes it an essential medium for scientific discovery, commerce, historical record-keeping, and artistic expression across virtually every facet of modern life.