Comprehensive Notes on Photography Terms and Techniques

Photography Terms

  • Definition of Photography
    • The term "photography" is derived from two Greek words: "Phos" meaning light and "graph" meaning to draw. Thus, photography literally translates to "drawing with light" and is recognized as an art form that captures images using light.

Key Components of Photography

  • Aperture

    • Definition: The variable opening in the camera's lens through which light passes to the film or digital sensor.
    • Measurement: Expressed in f-stops; analogous to the human eye's pupil, which adjusts in size based on light conditions to control the amount of light entering the eye.

  • Shutter Speed

    • Definition: The duration for which the shutter stays open during an exposure.
    • Functionality: Controls motion; a fast shutter speed (e.g., 1/20001/2000 of a second) can freeze motion, while a slow shutter speed (e.g., 1/41/4 of a second or longer) can cause motion blur.

  • ISO

    • Definition: Stands for International Standards Organization, and indicates the sensitivity level of the camera's sensor to light.
    • Sensitivity: A lower ISO number (e.g., ISO 100) means less sensitivity to light, enabling finer image quality but requiring more light. A higher ISO number (e.g., ISO 3200) increases sensitivity, useful for low-light conditions but may introduce noise.

  • Exposure

    • Definition: The total amount of light reaching the digital sensor.
    • Control: Achieved through the combined settings of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

  • F-stop

    • Definition: A measure of the aperture opening in the lens calculated by dividing the focal length of the lens by the diameter of the aperture.
    • Sequence: F-stops progress as multiples of the square root of 2, e.g., 1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, etc.

Exposure Values and Adjustments

  • EV (Exposure Value)

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

  • Exposure Compensation

    • Definition: This feature allows modification of shutter speed or aperture from the camera’s suggested settings to achieve specific exposure effects (overexposing or underexposing), typically used in Shutter Priority or Aperture Priority modes.
    • Representation: Usually indicated by a +/- button on the camera.
    • Note: Cameras generally read light to expose for medium gray, so adjustments are often necessary when photographing subjects of varying light reflectance.

  • Bracketing

    • Definition: The technique of taking a series of images with varying exposures or EV settings.
    • Application: Commonly used during HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography to manage difficult lighting scenarios to encompass a wide range of exposures from light to dark.

Camera Specifications and Modes

  • Camera Resolution

    • Definition: Expressed in megapixels, it indicates the maximum dimensions a camera sensor can capture.

  • File Formats

    • JPG vs. RAW:
    • JPG: The camera processes a RAW file using selected picture styles, saves it as JPG, and discards the RAW version.
    • RAW: Produces larger image files retaining more information, offering the photographer greater post-processing control over the final image appearance.

  • Camera Modes

    • Manual Mode: Full manual control where the user sets ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.
    • Shutter Priority Mode: The user sets ISO and shutter speed, and the camera automatically selects the appropriate aperture.
    • Aperture Priority Mode: Users set ISO and aperture; the camera selects the shutter speed.
    • Program Mode: Users set ISO while the camera determines both the shutter speed and aperture settings.

Lens Types and Characteristics

  • Bulb Mode

    • Definition: The “B” setting on a camera allows the shutter to remain open for as long as the button or remote trigger is pressed.

  • DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex)

    • Definition: A digital camera with interchangeable lenses, where the viewfinder shows what the lens sees via a mirror and prism system.

  • Zoom Lens

    • Definition: A lens with variable focal lengths, allowing zooming in or out, e.g., 24-70mm or 18-55mm.

  • Prime Lens

    • Definition: A lens with a fixed focal length, e.g., a 50mm lens, often referred to as a "nifty fifty" lens.

  • Macro Lens

    • Definition: A specialized lens that can focus on subjects very closely, allowing for a 1:1 reproduction size or larger.

  • Normal Lens

    • Specification: A lens with a 50mm focal length (on a full-frame camera) that approximates what the human eye sees.
    • Note: For sensors with a crop factor, the equivalent focal length is typically around 35mm.

  • Telephoto Lens

    • Definition: A lens longer than a normal lens with focal lengths starting from 70mm and extending to super telephoto variations of 300mm or longer; used for magnifying distant subjects.

  • Wide Angle Lens

    • Definition: A lens with a focal length less than normal (50mm), which allows capturing more of the scene.
    • Note: Excessively wide angles may lead to distortion, such as in fish-eye lenses.

  • Tilt-Shift Lens

    • Function: Allows the recreation of movements found in view cameras, enabling adjustments to the plane of focus; used primarily for fixing keystoning in architectural photography.

Sensor Types

  • Full Frame vs. Cropped Sensor

    • Full Frame: Roughly equivalent to the old 35mm film frame, capturing a complete image circle as designed by the lens.
    • Cropped Sensor: A smaller sensor area that captures only part of the projected image, leading to effective cropping; common crop factors are 1.5 or 1.6x.

  • Remote Trigger

    • Definition: A device enabling the camera to be fired without direct contact, reducing camera shake during long exposures.

Lighting and Exposure Techniques

  • Ambient Light

    • Definition: Refers to existing light in the scene without additional modifiers, including natural daylight or artificial sources (e.g., tungsten, fluorescent).

  • Lighting Patterns

    • Description: The arrangement of light and shadow on the subject's face, resulting in specific lighting patterns.

  • Main Light (Key Light)

    • Definition: The primary light source used for illumination in a photograph. Could be sunlight, a flash, or studio lighting sources.

  • Fill Light

    • Definition: Secondary light used to enhance or reduce shadows produced by the main light. Generated with reflectors or additional flash sources.

  • Lighting Ratio

    • Definition: A comparative measure of brightness between the main light and fill light, impacting the appearance of shadow areas on the subject.

  • Speedlight (Speedlite)

    • Definition: A portable flash that can attach to the camera or be fired remotely, useful for added light source management.

  • Incident Light Meter

    • Definition: A handheld device used to measure amount of light hitting a subject directly, unlike reflective meters that gauging light based on scene brightness can be misled.

  • Reflector

    • Definition: A tool that reflects light back onto the subject; can be a professional reflector or a simple DIY solution like white cardboard.

  • Subtractive Lighting

    • Definition: The technique of reducing or blocking light to achieve particular visual effects, such as using opaque panels to create desired shadows around the eyes.

  • Hard Light

    • Definition: Light characterized by harsh shadows and defined edges, ideal for creating dramatic imagery or highlighting textures.

  • Soft Light

    • Definition: Light that diffuses softly, resulting in gentle transitions between light and shadow; preferred for flattering portraits.

  • Edge Transfer - Fall Off

    • Definition: Refers to the smooth transition from light to shadow; in hard light, this transition is abrupt, while in soft light it is gradual and almost invisible.

Flash and Exposure Synchronization

  • Flash Sync

    • Definition: The synchronization of electronic flash with shutter speed to prevent partial illumination in images. Typical sync speed for most cameras is around 1/7001/700 of a second, which can be adjusted with specific flashes.

  • Fast Glass

    • Definition: A lens with a large maximum aperture (such as f/1.8 or f/1.2), which permits faster shutter speeds due to more light intake.

Depth of Field and Focus Techniques

  • Depth of Field

    • Definition: The distance range in a photo where objects appear in focus; influenced by aperture settings, lens focal length, distance from the subject, digital sensor size, and camera format.

  • Hyperfocal Distance

    • Application: Ideal for landscape photography; it indicates the focus distance offering the maximum depth of field, often marked on older prime lenses.

  • Chimping

    • Definition: A colloquial term for the act of reviewing images on the camera's display after capturing them; can detract from the shooting process if overdone.

  • Bokeh

    • Definition: The quality of the out-of-focus blurred areas in an image, often produced with fast lenses; pronounced around small bright points in the background.

  • Circles of Confusion

    • Definition: Related to bokeh; these are the blur spots perceived when objects fall outside the depth of field, appearing indistinct to the human eye.

Equipment and Techniques

  • Gobo

    • Definition: A device or material used to block stray light from affecting the subject, can be used in conjunction with reflectors.

  • Scrim

    • Definition: A translucent screen that reduces the light intensity without softening or diffusing it.

  • Shutter Lag

    • Definition: The brief delay between pressing the shutter button and the moment the camera captures the image; can impact timing, especially with fast-moving subjects.

  • Chromatic Aberration

    • Definition: An optical issue where a lens fails to focus all colors equally, resulting in color fringing at contrast edges; often fixable via software like Photoshop.

  • Camera Shake

    • Definition: A phenomenon causing blurriness due to insufficient shutter speed when hand-holding the camera; safe rule of thumb is 1/601/60 of a second or faster, although factors such as focal length recommend adjusting.

  • Lens Flare

    • Definition: Occurs when direct sunlight or a bright light source hits the lens, potentially causing hazy images or circular artifacts; some photographers may intentionally include lens flare for creative effects.

Color Temperature and Effects

  • White Balance - Kelvin

    • Definition: A measurement of color temperature measured in Kelvin degrees; lower values indicate warmer tones (e.g., orange from tungsten light), while higher values indicate cooler tones (e.g., blue).
    • Experimentation with these settings allows for varied effects in the photographic output.

  • ND Filter

    • Definition: Neutral Density filter used to limit light entering through the lens, especially beneficial for longer exposures in bright light situations (e.g., waterfall photography).

  • Panning

    • Definition: A technique that involves a slow shutter speed while moving the camera in sync with a moving subject, creating a sense of motion.

  • Stopping Down

    • Definition: The act of closing the aperture to a smaller opening, altering light intake and depth of field (e.g., changing from f/5.6 to f/8).

  • Photog

    • Definition: A colloquial term for a photographer, often used informally among professionals.

  • TIL + ETTL

    • TIL: Stands for “Through The Lens” referring to metering flash exposure.
    • ETTL: Evaluative Through The Lens metering which involves firing a preflash to gauge light levels and then compensates before firing the main flash.

  • Glass

    • Definition: A term used informally referring to lenses owned or used by the photographer (e.g., "What glass do you own?").

  • Spray + Pray

    • Approach: The practice of taking many rapid photographs in hopes of achieving at least one quality shot, often seen unfavorably in professional environments.

  • Golden Hour

    • Definition: The time shortly before sunset or after sunrise, characterized by a warm, diffused quality of light, optimal for photography.

  • Blown Out

    • Definition: A term referring to highlights that exceed the histogram’s limits, resulting in areas without detail, such as a wedding dress losing detail due to overexposure.

  • Clipped

    • Definition: Similar to blown out; refers to areas of shadows or blacks losing detail due to being cut off from the histogram’s representation.

  • Grip + Grin

    • Definition: Describes the quick photography moments during events, like two people shaking hands; this is a common scenario encountered by many photographers during various events.