aperture The circular opening that limits the amount of light that can enter the camera- measured in f-stop numbers Bokeh Refers to the out of focus area of a photograph- from Japanese word meaning "haze" or "blur" Bracketing Taking a sequence of photos of the same scene at different exposure settings Composition what you see in a photograph and how the subjects are arranged contrast refers to the difference between the light pixels and dark pixels in a photo critique detailed assessment of someone's photograph Cropping Cutting out part of an image depth of field distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that appears acceptably sharp and in focus DSLR A digital camera that combines the optics of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor exposure Determines how light or dark an image will appear- aperture, shutter speed and ISO are 3 factors that control this focal length The distance (in mm) between the center of a lens and its focus- can be changed by lens or zoom focus the process of adjusting the lens to find maximum detail and sharpness in an image Framing when something, usually in the foreground, surrounds and draws attention to the subject Golden Hour The time of day (usually the hour after sunrise or hour before sunset) that generally gives the best warm natural light for photographing hard light Strong light that casts strong shadows and bright highlights Histogram A graph of all the pixels present in an image ISO The number that determines the sensor's sensitivity to light JPEG Universal file format, small size and suitable to print and share Layers Parts of Photoshop file that keeps different parts of the design separate from each other. 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. Manual Mode A shooting mode on a camera that allows the photographer to set both the aperture and shutter speed, giving full control over the camera's exposure. negative space empty space around or between an object or a person in a photo Photoshop program used by many photographers to create or edit photographs and images. Pixel Short for "picture element" it is the fundamental unit of a digital image, typically a tiny square or dot which contains a single point of color of a larger image. RAW Also called "digital negatives", this file format captures all image info from the sensor but must be converted to another format in order to print/send Rules of Thirds visually dividing the photo into thirds vertically and horizontally and placing the most important element along a line or where the lines intersect Shutter Speed the amount of time that the shutter is open- measured in seconds silhouette the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible against a lighter background- created with back light soft light light which has a soft edge and produces subtle shadows and tones; diffused White Balance The process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that the objects that are white in person are rendered white in your photo

aperture

The circular opening that limits the amount of light that can enter the camera- measured in f-stop numbers

Bokeh

Refers to the out of focus area of a photograph- from Japanese word meaning "haze" or "blur"

Bracketing

Taking a sequence of photos of the same scene at different exposure settings

Composition

what you see in a photograph and how the subjects are arranged

contrast

refers to the difference between the light pixels and dark pixels in a photo

critique

detailed assessment of someone's photograph

Cropping

Cutting out part of an image

depth of field

distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that appears acceptably sharp and in focus

DSLR

A digital camera that combines the optics of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor

exposure

Determines how light or dark an image will appear- aperture, shutter speed and ISO are 3 factors that control this

focal length

The distance (in mm) between the center of a lens and its focus- can be changed by lens or zoom

focus

the process of adjusting the lens to find maximum detail and sharpness in an image

Framing

when something, usually in the foreground, surrounds and draws attention to the subject

Golden Hour

The time of day (usually the hour after sunrise or hour before sunset) that generally gives the best warm natural light for photographing

hard light

Strong light that casts strong shadows and bright highlights

Histogram

A graph of all the pixels present in an image

ISO

The number that determines the sensor's sensitivity to light

JPEG

Universal file format, small size and suitable to print and share

Layers

Parts of Photoshop file that keeps different parts of the design separate from each other.

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.

Manual Mode

A shooting mode on a camera that allows the photographer to set both the aperture and shutter speed, giving full control over the camera's exposure.

negative space

empty space around or between an object or a person in a photo

Photoshop

program used by many photographers to create or edit photographs and images.

Pixel

Short for "picture element" it is the fundamental unit of a digital image, typically a tiny square or dot which contains a single point of color of a larger image.

RAW

Also called "digital negatives", this file format captures all image info from the sensor but must be converted to another format in order to print/send

Rules of Thirds

visually dividing the photo into thirds vertically and horizontally and placing the most important element along a line or where the lines intersect

Shutter Speed

the amount of time that the shutter is open- measured in seconds

silhouette

the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible against a lighter background- created with back light

soft light

light which has a soft edge and produces subtle shadows and tones; diffused

White Balance

The process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that the objects that are white in person are rendered white in your photo