Yearbook 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 the readers attention first

Composition

Position or arrangement of the elements in a photo; content of a photo

Cropping

Editing the image area to be reproduced

Format

A horizontal or vertical orientation for a photograph

Framing

Composition of a photo so that the subject is surrounded by the 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 the dark areas of a digital photo

Perspective

The angle at which a photo is shot

Photo Assignment

The time, place and event/activity the photographer is to shoot

Photojournalism

The art of telling a visual story with photographs

Photojournalistic Photos

Tell stories, show action, and reaction

Photo Editing

Brings together photographer and designer and involves selection, cropping, sizing, and the display of photos to optimize storytelling.

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

Rule of Thirds

A method of dividing the photograph into thirds vertically and horizontally creating four intersection points

Sequence

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

Sizing

Matching the dimensions of the original photo to the proportions of a photo module on a design

Subject

The main focus of a photo (a single person, a couple, a small group, a large group)

Worm’s Eye View

A photo shot from below, or a ground level shot