photography
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photography
An outdated or very formal spelling of Fotografie (photography). Refers to the art or technique of creating images through the effect of light on a light-sensitive medium.
Die Ausstellung widmete sich den Pionieren der Photographie im 19. Jahrhundert.
The exhibition was devoted to the pioneers of photography in the 19th century.
The spelling 'Photographie' (photography) with 'Ph' is outdated or very formal. Today, it is used almost only in historical, scientific, or artistic contexts, for example in book titles about the history of the subject or in the names of museums.
Das Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe hat eine Abteilung für Photographie.
The Museum of Art and Industry has a department of photography.
The word comes from Greek: 'phos' means 'light' and 'graphein' means 'to draw' or 'to write'. So 'Photographie' (photography) literally means 'drawing with light', which describes the technique well.
Die Erfindung der Photographie hat die Malerei nachhaltig verändert.
The invention of photography permanently changed painting.
Matching the formal and historical character of the word, typical collocations are 'die Geschichte der Photographie' (the history of photography), 'die Pioniere der Photographie' (the pioneers of photography), or 'künstlerische Photographie' (artistic photography).
In dem Buch geht es um die Anfänge der Photographie in Europa.
The book is about the beginnings of photography in Europe.
photo
'das Foto' and 'die Photographie' both have to do with images created with a camera. In everyday language, people almost always say 'Foto' when they mean a single image that was taken. 'Photographie' is a very formal or old spelling and refers more to the art or technique of photography. Learners may confuse the words because they look similar and belong to the same topic area. In practical terms: for an image on a phone, in a passport, or in an album, 'Foto' is natural; 'Photographie' fits better in a very formal text or in an art-historical context.
Im Museum gibt es eine Ausstellung über die frühe Photographie.
There is an exhibition about early photography at the museum.
Kannst du mir das Foto aus der Küche schicken, damit ich die Farbe der Wand sehe?
Can you send me the photo from the kitchen so I can see the color of the wall?