Making Media, 4th Edition

Chapter 3Reproducing the Frame

Creating the Image

Cameras are used to create our visual frames. Cameras (still or motion picture, film or digital) are made up of a lens, through which light travels, and a camera body. Within the camera body is the image plane, the surface onto which the image is reflected. Understanding lens theory—the type of lens used and its characteristics—is central to all forms of image making. Understanding the different types of materials that can reproduce images gives you an idea of the many choices available.

Lenses

When you look at something, a series of reactions takes place. Light waves bounce off the object. A light-colored object will reflect most of the light waves that strike it, absorbing only a small amount ...