Photography Terms✨

Photography Terminology: A Glossary of 71 Photographic Terms

The Basics of Photography

  • Definition of Photography:

    • The word "photography" comes from two ancient Greek words:
    • "Phos": meaning light
    • "Graph": meaning to draw
    • Thus, photography literally means to draw with light. It is the art form of creating images using light.

  • Aperture:

    • A variable opening in the lens through which light passes to the film or digital sensor.
    • Measured in f-stops.
    • Analogy: Compares aperture to the human pupil, which adjusts to allow more or less light based on the room's brightness.
    • Further reading recommended on how to use aperture effectively.

  • Exposure Value (EV):

    • The concept of bracketing refers to taking a series of images at varying exposures. This feature is often labeled AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) on cameras.
    • Essential for creating HDR images or in challenging lighting conditions—providing a range from light to dark.

  • Bulb Mode:

    • The “B” setting on cameras keeps the shutter open as long as the button or remote trigger is pressed.
    • Available on various camera models; on a Canon, it can be found on the mode dial or at the lower end of shutter speed settings.

  • DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex):

    • A type of digital camera featuring interchangeable lenses.
    • The image is viewed through a mirror and prism, allowing direct capture through the lens.

  • Exposure Value (EV):

    • A numerical representation of various combinations of aperture and shutter speed that yield the same exposure effect.

  • Exposure Compensation:

    • Adjusting the shutter speed or aperture from the camera's recommended exposure to achieve a specific effect (over or under-exposing).
    • Typically found represented by a +/- button on the camera.
    • Cameras assess light bouncing off subjects, calibrated for a medium grey reference of approximately 18% grey.

  • Exposure:

    • The entirety of light hitting the digital sensor of the camera.
    • Controlled through aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings.

  • F-stop:

    • Denotes the aperture opening in the lens calculated as: F−stop=focal lengthaperture diameterF-stop = \frac{focal\ length}{aperture\ diameter}.
    • The sequence of f-stops follows multiples of the square root of 2 (approximately 1.414): 1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, etc.
    • Each increment doubles the amount of light entering the lens.

  • ISO:

    • Stands for International Standards Organization.
    • Indicates the sensitivity of the camera's sensor to light.
    • Lower ISO numbers (e.g., ISO 100) mean less sensitivity, while higher numbers (e.g., ISO 3200) indicate more sensitivity.
    • A higher ISO enables shooting in lower light conditions.

Lenses and Their Types

  • Prime Lens:

    • A lens with a fixed focal length that does not zoom.
    • Generally sharper and faster than zoom lenses.

  • Shutter Speed:

    • Defines how long the shutter remains open during an exposure.
    • Fast shutter speeds (e.g., 1/2000s) freeze motion, while slower speeds (e.g., 1/4s) create blur in moving objects.

  • Zoom Lens:

    • A lens featuring variable focal lengths (e.g., 24-70mm, 18-55mm) allowing users to zoom in or out.

  • Macro Lens:

    • Designed to focus closely on subjects, achieving a 1:1 reproduction size or larger.

  • Normal Lens:

    • Typically a 50mm lens on full frame cameras, approximating the human eye's perspective.
    • In cropped sensor cameras, this corresponds to about a 35mm lens.

  • Telephoto Lens:

    • Any lens with focal lengths longer than normal (usually 70-300mm or more).
    • Provides a narrow field of view and magnified images.

  • Wide Angle Lens:

    • A lens that offers a broader field of view than normal lenses.
    • May exhibit edge distortion in super wide-angle versions.

  • Tilt-Shift Lens:

    • Enables recreating movements similar to those available in view cameras.
    • Tilt allows changing the plane of focus; Shift permits repositioning subjects without angling the camera.

Technical Specifications

  • Camera Resolution:

    • Measured in megapixels, indicating the dimensions a camera sensor can capture.
    • For instance, Canon's 6D delivers a resolution of 5472 x 3648, totaling around 20 megapixels.
    • While important, resolution is not the sole determinant of image quality.

  • File Formats:

    • JPEG vs. RAW:
    • JPEG: Processes RAW file using selected picture styles, saves as JPEG, discarding RAW.
    • RAW: Maintains full image data, providing greater post-processing control but requiring compatible software.

  • Full Frame vs. Cropped Sensor:

    • Full Frame sensors approximate the size of conventional 35mm film.
    • Cropped sensors capture a portion of the image projected by the lens, effectively cropping it (common crop factors are 1.5 or 1.6x).
    • Example: A 50mm lens on a 1.5x crop factor camera behaves like a 75mm lens.

Camera Modes

  • Manual Mode:

    • Users set all parameters: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

  • Shutter Priority Mode (Tv on Canon, S on Nikon):

    • Users select ISO and shutter speed, while the camera adjusts aperture for correct exposure.

  • Aperture Priority Mode (Av for Canon, A for Nikon):

    • Users choose ISO and aperture, and the camera automatically selects shutter speed.

Lighting and Portrait Photography Terms

  • Ambient Light:

    • Also known as available light, refers to existing light in a scene without artificial addition.
    • Includes natural daylight or artificial sources like incandescent or fluorescent lights.

  • Main Light or Key Light:

    • The predominant light source that defines the light intensity pattern on the subject.

  • Fill Light:

    • Secondary light source used to soften shadows, which may originate from a flash, reflector, or strobe.

  • Lighting Pattern:

    • The specific distribution of light and shadow on the subject’s face.

  • Lighting Ratio:

    • The comparison of intensity between the main light and fill light, determining the lit versus shadow sides of the face.

  • Incident Light Meter:

    • A handheld device used to measure the light falling on a subject, unaffected by the subject's inherent brightness.

  • Speedlight:

    • Portable small flash adaptable to a camera's hot shoe or used remotely.

  • Reflector:

    • A tool for redirecting light back to a subject, ranging from specialized reflectors to simple materials like white cardboard.

  • Subtractive Lighting:

    • Involves reducing light to achieve a desired effect, such as using reflectors or panels to block overhead light.

  • Hard Light:

    • Describes harsh, undiffused light creating sharp shadows and a pronounced edge transfer, emphasizing texture.

  • Soft Light:

    • Refers to diffused lighting producing softer shadows and gradually transitioning between light and dark.

  • Edge Transfer:

    • The manner in which light transitions into shadow, significant with varying hardness of light.

  • Flash Sync:

    • The synchronization between the camera's shutter and flash firing. Generally around 1/200s; can adjust for faster speeds if compatible flashes are used.

Slang and Photography Jargon

  • Fast Glass:

    • Lenses with large maximum apertures (e.g., f1.8, f1.2), allowing faster shutter speeds.

  • Chimping:

    • The act of viewing images on the camera's display right after capturing them, potentially detracting from shooting time.

  • Bokeh:

    • Pronounced "bo-ke", refers to blurry backgrounds rendered out of focus when using fast glass, particularly with distant light sources.

  • Depth of Field (DOF):

    • The span of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in focus, influenced by aperture, lens focal length, distance to the subject, and sensor size.

  • Circles of Confusion:

    • Describes the blurriness of objects outside the depth of field, defined as the largest blur distinguishable from a point source.

  • Hyperfocal Distance:

    • The focus distance providing maximum depth of field, often calculated with special methodologies or tools.

  • Gobo:

    • An object employed to block stray light from reaching the subject.

  • Scrim:

    • A semi-transparent Medium used to reduce but not diffuse light.

  • Shutter Lag:

    • A brief delay between pressing the shutter button and the camera’s actual capture process.

  • Chromatic Aberration:

    • The lens failure to focus all colors (RGB) at a single point, resulting in color fringes on images.

  • Rear Shutter Curtain Sync:

    • An option firing the flash at the end of the shutter exposure instead of the beginning, switching blur placement relative to the subject.

  • Camera Shake:

    • Blurriness from too slow shutter speed while hand-holding; guidelines suggest a minimum of 1/60s or based on the focal length for sharper images.

  • Lens Flare:

    • Occurs from direct light hitting the lens, resulting in haziness or artifacts; can be desirable for added visual effects.

  • Color Temperature (Kelvin):

    • Measured in Kelvin (K), with lower values representing warmer colors and higher values representing cooler colors, adjustable in camera settings.

  • ND Filter (Neutral Density):

    • A filter that minimizes light entering the camera lens; commonly used in landscape photography with long exposure effects.

  • Panning:

    • The technique of moving the camera in tandem with a moving subject to maintain focus and create a blurred background.

  • Stopping Down:

    • Refers to reducing aperture size (e.g., adjusting from f5.6 to f8).

  • TTL and ETTL (Through The Lens):

    • TTL refers to camera's metering system managing flash exposure. ETTL describes evaluative metering that accounts for light loss and corrects it via preflash emitters.

  • Photog:

    • Slang for photographers, often used among professionals.

  • Glass:

    • Refers to lenses; the term as in "what glass do you own?"

  • Golden Hour:

    • Known as magic hour, the period just before sunset or after sunrise when the quality of light is optimal for photography.

  • Spray and Pray:

    • The strategy of taking numerous photographs with the hope to capture a successful shot; generally not encouraged as a practice.

  • Blown Out Highlights:

    • Highlights exceeding the right side of the histogram, resulting in a loss of detail.

  • Clipped Images:

    • Similar to blown out, indicates compression in histogram data affecting shadow or highlight areas.

  • Grip and Grin:

    • Describes a quick photo opportunity usually involving individuals shaking hands.

  • Selfie:

    • A self-portrait photograph typically taken with a smartphone.

  • SOOC (Straight Out of Camera):

    • Refers to images that haven't undergone any post-processing or editing after capture.

  • Dust Bunnies:

    • Dark spots on images resulting from dust on a digital camera's sensor.

  • Pixel Peeper:

    • Individuals who scrutinize images at 100% zoom in post-processing applications.

  • Nifty 50:

    • A conventional name for a 50mm prime lens, regarded as an essential piece of equipment.

  • ACR (Adobe Camera Raw):

    • A photo processing software application for RAW files.

  • Flash and Drag:

    • Techniques incorporating slow shutter speeds with flash to balance ambient light in relation to flash output.

  • Wide Open:

    • Using a lens at its largest aperture setting, allowing maximum light entry (e.g., f1.8).