The type of electromagnetic wave most commonly used in photography is visible light , and for photography in complete darkness, infrared radiation is typically used.

Main idea

  • Ordinary photography (daylight, flash, studio, phone cameras) relies on visible light, the narrow band of the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye can see.
  • Special “night photography” or “thermal imaging” systems often use infrared radiation, which allows images to be captured even with little or no visible light.

Extra context

  • In exams or textbook-style questions that say “photographs in the dark,” the expected answer is usually infrared rays , because these can be detected even when visible light is absent.
  • Other parts of the spectrum can also be used in niche “photography” contexts:
    • Ultraviolet (UV) for specialized scientific or artistic images.
* X‑rays for “internal photography” of the body in medical imaging.

So, if the question is simply “Which type of electromagnetic wave is used in photography?” the basic school-level answer is visible light ; if it specifically says “in the dark” , the answer is infrared rays.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.