Someone once said, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Pictures document every aspect of our society, our life, and our culture. Pictures are a way for us to keep in touch with our past, record our present, and capture the precious moments of our lives. Everyone takes pictures, but it is surprising that very few people know the basic fundamentals of photography. Photography consists of more than the point and shoot, most people do not understand how multi-faceted the art of photography is. The average camera user does not fully comprehend all the aspects involved in true picture taking. A plethora of components must be taken into account when one is practicing photography, such as general maintenance, the features of film, focusing, lighting, aperture, shutter speed, grain, and exposure, with this knowledge one's pictures will come out correctly every time, ensuring the perfect record of a memory with each picture. As simplistic as a camera appears to be, most people tend to find them confusing and difficult to use. The most common camera is the 35 mm camera. Every American, at one point in time, has used a 35 mm camera. The general knowledge of placing the subject in the view finder and pressing the button is a fact everyone is aware of, but that is as far as most people go. To truly appreciate the pictures that one is inundated with, one must be cognizant of the history and purpose behind the art of photography. .
First of all, to know how to work a camera, one must need to know the basics of the camera before one can even shoot a picture. The most important part of a camera is the lens. To obtain a clear, sharp photograph dust must remain off the lens (Sandler 4). If dust accumulates on the lens it has to be cleaned with a lintless cloth, after lightly breathing on the lens to create a mist. If the lens is not cleaned, white spots will end up on the picture.
