foto

Foto is a widely used term in many languages to denote a photograph or image produced by capturing light with a camera. In everyday speech, "foto" is a common informal form of "photograph" or "photography" in languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and German, where more formal words like fotografía, fotografia or Fotografie exist. In digital and online contexts, "foto" is often used as a generic label for pictures.

Etymology: The word photo derives from the Greek roots phōs (light) and graphe (writing), via the term "photography" in English. The clipped form "photo" or "foto" arose in the 19th and 20th centuries as a convenient shorthand and was adopted in various languages with local spellings.

Technology and formats: The concept began with chemical processes in the 19th century and evolved to modern digital imaging. Today, photos are stored as digital image files in formats such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, or RAW. Metadata like EXIF records camera settings, date, and location. Photos can be displayed on screens, printed, shared online, or archived for preservation.

Usage and rights: Photos are typically protected by copyright, owned by the creator unless otherwise licensed. Licensing schemes range from all rights reserved to Creative Commons or stock licenses. Attribution, privacy, and consent are relevant, particularly for architectural interiors, public events, or images of people.