Photography Terms

angle

the specific location from which a photo is shot

bird's -eye view

a photo shot from above, taken from a high angle

center of visual interest (CVI)

primary subject that catches readers' attention first, focal point or dominant element within the photo

composition

position or arrangement of the elements in a photo; content

cropping

editing the image area to be reproduced, removes dead space from sides, top, or bottom

format

a horizontal or vertical orientation for a photograph

framing

composing a photo so that the subject is surrounded by content-sky, ground, people, architecture-that highlights the subject

leading lines

a photo composition technique in which real or imaginary lines in a photo lead the eye to the dominant element, primary subject or center of interest

noise

an undesirable electronic pattern in dark areas of a digital photo

perspective

the angle at which a photo is shot (wide, medium, close-up)

photojournalism

the art of telling a visual story with photographs, capturing life and emotion as it happens, not staged or posed

reference photos

group shots and portraits that provide a record of the school population and the membership of organizations and teams

repetition of patterns

a composition technique in which texture, lines, or another visual element repeats in the photo

rule of thirds

a method of dividing the photograph intro thirds vertically and horizontally creating four intersection points where the main subject should usually fall into one of the intersecting points

sequence

a complete visual story that results from shooting before, during, and after the event or activity

subject

the main focus of a photo

worm's-eye-view

a photo shot from below or a ground-level angle

aperture

determines how much light is let in

shutter speed

the length of time when the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light, also when a camera's shutter is open when taking a photograph

exposure

how light or dark an image is