Photography Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering the history, basics, camera parts, film development, darkroom equipment, and techniques of photography.

Photography

The art of capturing images using light.

Camera Obscura

A dark box with a small hole or lens that projects an image onto a surface.

Johann Schulze

Scientist who discovered light-sensitive materials.

Joseph Niépce

Took the first photograph using light-sensitive chemicals.

Daguerreotype

An early type of photograph on a metal plate.

Louis Daguerre

Invented the daguerreotype.

William Talbot

Invented the process to make prints from negatives.

Negative

A reversed image from which a photo print is made.

Maxwell

Made the first color photo.

George Eastman

Invented Kodak and made photography easier for everyone.

Camera

A light-proof device that captures images.

Shutter

Opens and closes to control how long light hits the film.

Aperture

An adjustable opening that controls how much light enters the camera.

Lens

Focuses light onto the film or sensor.

Shutter Release

The button you press to take a picture.

Viewfinder

Where you look through to frame your photo.

Tripod

A three-legged stand to keep the camera still.

Parallax

A difference between what you see and what the camera captures.

Twin Lens Reflex

A type of camera with two lenses—one for viewing and one for taking the photo.

Exposure

The amount of light that hits the film or sensor.

Shutter Speed

Controls how long light is let in.

Depth of Field (D.O.F.)

How much of the scene is in focus from front to back.

Framing

Using elements in a scene to surround your subject.

Panning

Moving the camera with a moving subject to keep it in focus.

Focusing

Adjusting the lens to make the image sharp.

Toward

The correct direction to face the emulsion side of the film.

Smooth Press

How to gently press the shutter button for a steady photo.

Emulsion

The light-sensitive coating on film.

Grain

The tiny dots that make up a photo, especially when enlarged.

Film Base

The plastic layer that holds the emulsion.

Silver Halide Crystals

Light-sensitive parts of film that create images.

Developer

A chemical that darkens exposed silver to create an image.

Stop Bath

A chemical that halts the developing process.

Fixer

Removes unexposed silver to make the image permanent.

Photo Flo

A chemical that helps prevent water spots on film.

Latent Image

The invisible image on film after it’s exposed but before developing.

Timer

Keeps track of developing and exposure times.

Safe Light

Red or amber light that won’t expose photo paper.

Chemical Storage Bottles

Light-safe bottles to hold photo chemicals.

Negative Carrier

Holds film flat in an enlarger for printing.

Changing Bag

A lightproof bag used to load film without exposing it.

Printing

Making a photograph from a negative.

Contact Print

A small print made by pressing film against paper.

Enlargement

Making a bigger print using an enlarger.

Burning-In

Adding more light to make a specific area darker.

Dodging

Blocking light to make an area lighter.

Cropping

Cutting out unwanted parts of an image.

Fast Film

Reacts quickly to light; good for low-light or action shots.

Slow Film

Needs more light; best for bright scenes.

ISO

Number rating that tells how sensitive film is to light.

Twice

ISO 400 is twice as fast as ISO 200.

f/16

An example of a small aperture size.