Light reflects off the scene that is being photographed and enters the camera through a small hole or a lens at the front. The light exposes the film to make a picture. This article explains how a camera takes pictures and discusses various types of cameras. For a discussion of the history and parts of a camera and how to take pictures, see the World Book article on Photography. For information on making movies, see the articles on and Camcorder.
Light reflects from the scene being photographed and strikes the lens of the camera.
The light passes through the lens and forms an upside down image on the film at the back of the camera. The image can be sharpened by adjusting the distance between the lens and the film. Many cameras have a focusing mechanism by which the photographer moves the lens a short distance to sharpen the image. In addition, most cameras have a viewfinder, a sighting instrument that the photographer looks through to frame the subject. Most cameras also have a film advance.