Photograph Vs Photography – What Is The Difference?

by | Orlando Photography

Last Updated: March 3, 2025

hogwarts proposal

A photograph is a still image produced by a camera.

The word “photograph” comes from the Greek roots φωτο, meaning “light,” and γραφή, meaning “drawing,” as in a picture [1].

Photographs are often used to capture a moment in time, while photography is the process of creating art through the use of a camera.

Photographs and photography are related but distinct concepts.

The word “photographer” is often used colloquially as a synonym for a photographer, but technically it refers to anyone who uses a camera to capture images.

What Is a Photograph?

couple kissing in spring

A photograph can be any shape or size, typically around 8″ x 10″.

However, photographs created by traditional cameras measure only 5 inches by 7 inches to fit into an optical viewfinder (a small window in front of the lens).

Modern cameras record images onto digital memory cards or hard drives.

A digital photograph is still called a photograph because it has two dimensions, like a plane or flat surface.

It doesn’t resemble life in three dimensions like a painting.

Additionally, photographs are generally considered to be static images, which means they don’t move naturally as we do.

This difference makes photographs much more stable than paintings: paintings can be moved by human hands, but photographs cannot.

What Is Photography?

Photography is the practice and science of creating images with a camera.

As an art form, photography encompasses many different types of photographic images and media, as outlined below.

Portraits (Wanderlust Portraits Anyone?)

celebration photography

Human portraits are considered the most popular type of photograph.

The style of portraiture varies by region and culture but involves taking pictures of people in their natural environment (often portraits of family members).

The subject is usually placed against a plain background, so there’s enough space for the person’s features to stand out.

For example, you can use this technique on portraits that appear in magazines or advertisements to remove unwanted elements like furniture or garbage bins, so they stand out more clearly.

Landscapes

beach

Landscapes take photos of natural environments, such as mountains or seaside.

This style tends to be vast and symmetrical, blending well with other landscape photos taken at different times and angles.

Often, they are shot with long exposures and little motion blur so that viewers can see clearly how objects like trees or rocks appear when they aren’t moving at all.

Landscapes are typically shot with telephoto lenses (which are helpful when there are lots of small objects in the scene).

Architecture

architecture

Architecture or building photos include shots taken inside buildings and their interiors, as well as outside views where architecture is part of the scenery.

These photos tend to be more realistic than landscapes because they show how things actually look indoors rather than how they look when seen from far away through distance.

Architecture photos often include details like posters on the wall or lighting fixtures hanging from ceilings.

They may also include people in shots that depict the architecture itself.

Nature

nature

Nature shots are taken outside of buildings and cities.

The can depend on where you live.

If you live near mountains, for example, you’ll likely take photos of mountains.

If you live near waterfalls or beaches, you’ll likely take shots of waterfalls.

Many nature photos include animals, either captured in their natural habitat or posed for pictures like wildlife photographers do.

Some nature photographs even include plants like flowers that grow outside buildings or on walls inside buildings, something that’s sometimes done with portraits too.

Science

fossils

Photographers study many different branches of science with their cameras, astrophysics (the study of stars), astronomy (the study of stars), geology (the study of rocks), paleontology (the study of fossils), zoology (the study of animals) and archaeology (the study of ancient cultures).

These photos can be shot using long exposures and high-quality lenses for maximum clarity about what these subjects look like under different conditions, whether it’s an astronaut floating through space or a dinosaur fossil found in an ancient cave in Italy.

How Do Photographs and Photography Differ?

Regarding content, photographs are static images that don’t move naturally as we do, whereas photography is the process of creating art through a camera.

In terms of process, photography involves using lenses and other equipment to take pictures with cameras.

In contrast, photographs can be created with any device that produces pictures, such as digital cameras, smartphones, and tablets, not just cameras.

Photographs are usually created quickly and taken during specific occasions like vacations or special events.

Photography can be done anytime and anywhere if you have your camera with you!

What Is a Photograph Used For?

celebration photography

Photographs are primarily used for their ability to capture humans and objects in their natural environment.

In comparison, photographs are primarily used for their ability to create unique visual art, not just whatever happened to occur during your vacation last year!

While both forms have their benefits, each has its purpose in life!

What Is Photography Used For?

commercial

Photography is used for commercial purposes because it offers consumers better quality at lower prices than traditional methods such as painting or drawing.

But there’s more; photography helps consumers decide about the products they purchase.

For example, let’s say you’re looking at a car ad online.

If you’re considering buying one soon, it might be helpful to see pictures of the vehicle and observe the differences between models.

There are tons more examples like this, but safe to say photography gives consumers more information about products than other forms do!

Conclusion

As a local photographer in Central Florida, we hope that sharing the similarities and differences between photography and photographs has been helpful.

Wander with your favorite camera, and never let your creativity die.

References

  1. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/foto-