Photography Midterm (Vocabulary)

AE-L (Autoexposure Lock)

Cam control that locks in the exposure value allowing an image to be recomposed.

Angle of View

Area of a scene that the lens takes in. (Measured in degrees)

Aperture

Opening in a cam lens through which light passes to expose the image sensor. (Size of aperture is denoted by f-#)

Autoexposure

Cam system where exposure is calculated automatically by cam.

Bracketing 

Taking a series of identical compositions, changing only the exposure value, usually in half or one f-stop (+/-) increments.

Camera Shake

Movement of cam during exposure that can lead to a blurred image.

CCD (Charged-Coupled Device)

One of the most common types of image sensors incorporated in digital cams.

Centre Weighted Metering

Way of determining the exposure of a photograph, placing emphasis on the lightmeter reading from the centre of the frame.

CMOS (Complementary Oxide Semi-Conductors)

Microchip consisting of a grid of millions of light-sensor cells. (More sensors = greater # of pixels/higher resolution of final image)

Color Temperature

Color of a light source expressed in Kelvin. (k)

Compression

Process by which digital cams are reduced in size.

Contrast

The range between the highlight and shadow areas of an image/a marked difference in illumination between colors of adjacent areas.

Depth of Field (DOF)

The amount of an image that appears acceptably sharp. (Controlled by Aperture (smaller aperture = greater DOF))

DPI (Dots Per Inch)

Measure of resolution of a printer or a scanner. (More DPI - higher resolution)

Dynamic Range

The Ability of the cams sensor to capture a full range of shadows and highlights.

Evaluative Metering

A metering system where by light reflected from several subject areas is calculated based on algorithms.

Exposure

Amount of light allowed to strike and expose the image sensor. (Controlled by aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity.) Also the act of taking a photograph. (Making an exposure)

Exposure Compensation

A control that allows intentional over- or underexposure.

Fill-in Flash

Flash combined with daylight in an exposure. Used with naturally backlight or harshly side-lit or top-lit subjects to prevent silhouettes forming or to add extra light to the shadow areas of a well-lit scene.

Filter

A piece of colored, or coated, glass or plastic placed in front of the lens for creative or corrective use.

F-stop/number

Number assigned to a particular lens aperture. (Wide apertures denoted by small numbers, small apertures denoted by large numbers)

Focal Length

The distance usually in millimeters, from the optical centre point of a lens element to it’s focal point, which signifies its power.

GN (Guide Number)

Used to determine a flashgun’s output. (GN = subject distance x aperture)

Highlights

The brightest areas of an image.

Histogram

A graph used to represent the distribution of tones in an image.

Hotshoe

An accessory shoe with electrical contacts that allows synchronization between the cam and a flashgun.

Incident-Light Reading

Meter reading based on the light falling on the subject.

ISO (International Standards Organization)

The sensitivity of the image sensor measured in terms equivalent to the ISO rating of a film.

Jpeg (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

A popular image file type, compressed to reduce file size.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

The flat screen on the back of a digital cam that allows the user to play back and review digital images and shooting information.

Macro

Term used to describe close-up photography and the close-focusing ability of a lens.

Megapixel

One million pixels.

Metering

Using a cam or handheld light-meter to determine the amount of light coming from a scene and calculate the required exposure.

Metering Pattern

The system used by the cam to calculate the exposure.

Monochrome

Image compromising only of grey tones, from black to white.

Multiplication Factor

Amount the focal length of a lens will be magnified when attached to a cam with a cropped-type sensor - smaller than 35mm.

Noise

Colored image interference caused by stray electrical signals.

Overexposure

A condition when too much light reaches the sensor. Detail is lost in the highlights.

Pixel

Abbreviation of “picture elements.” The smallest bits of info that combine to form a digital image.

Post Processing

The use of software to make adjustments to a digital file on a computer.

Raw

A versatile and widley used digital file format where the shooting parameters are attached to the file, not applied.

Resolution

Number of pixels used to either capture an image or display it, usually expressed in ppi. (Higher resolution = finer detail)

Saturation

Intensity of colors in an image.

Shadow Areas

Darkest areas of the exposure.

Shutter

The mechanism that controls the amount of light reaching the sensor by opening and closing when the shutter release is activated.

Shutter Speed

Determines the duration of exposure.

SLR (Single Lens Reflex)

Cam type that allows the user to view the scene through the lens, using a reflex mirror.

Spot Metering

Metering system that places importance on the intensity of light reflected by a very small percentage of the frame.

Telephoto Lens

Lens with a large focal length and a narrow angle of view.

TIFF (Tagged-Image File Format)

Universal file format supported by virtually all image editing applications. (TIFFs are uncompressed digital files)

TTL (Through the Lens) Metering

Metering system built into the cam that measures light passing through the lens at the time of shooting.

Underexposure

Condition in which too little light reaches the sensor. There is too much detail lost in the shadow areas of the exposure.

Viewfinder

Optical system used for composing and somtimes focusing the subject.

Vignetting

Darkening of the corners of an image, due to an obstruction. (Usually caused by a filter(s) or hood)

White Balance

Function that allows the correct color balance to be recorded for any given lighting situation.

Wide-angle Lens

Lens with a short focal length.