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Adjustable Camera
A camera with manually adjustable settings for distance, lens openings, and shutter speeds.
Angle of View
This is how much a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length. A wide angle lens (short focal length) covers more area than a normal (normal focal length) or telephoto (long focal length) lens.
Aperture
The opening in the camera lens through which light passes to expose the film. Apertures are marked by F-numbers.
Aperture Priority
An exposed mode on an automatic or autofocus camera that lets you set the aperture while the camera sets the shutter speed. If you change the aperture, or the light level changes, the shutter speed adjusts automatically.
Autofocus
The camera focuses automatically on the subject that is within the autofocus frame, in the viewfinder when you press the shutter release.
Automatic Camera
A camera with a built-in exposure meter that automatically adjusts the lens opening and/or shutter speed for proper exposure.
Background
The part of the scene that appears behind the principal subject of the picture.
Backlighting
Light coming from behind the subject and toword the camera lens.
between-the-lens-shutter
A shutter whose blades operate between two elements of the lens.
Blowup
An enlargement; a print that is made larger than the negative or slide.
Bounce Lighting
Flash or tungsten light bounce off a reflector (such as a ceiling or wall) to give the affect of natural or availible light.
Close-up
A picture taken with the subject close to the camera, usually this means less than two or three feet away, and it can be as close as a few inches.
Colour Balance
How a colour ilm reproduces the colours of a scene. Colour films are made to be exposed by light of a certain colour quantity, such as daylight or tungsten. Colour balance also refers to the reproduction of colours in colour prints, which can be altered during printing process.
Composition
The pleasing arrangment of the elements within a scene - the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting objects.
Contrasts
The range of different light and dark areas of a negative, print or slide (also called density); the brightness range of a subject or the lighting.
Contrasty
Higher than normal contrast, including very light and dark areas.
Cropping
Printing only part of the image that is in the negative or slide, usually for more pleasing composition. May also refer to the framing of the scene in the viewfinder.
Dedicated Flash
A fully automatic flash that works onl with specific cameras. Dedicated flash units automatically set the flash sync speed and lens aperture, and electronic sensors within the camera automatically control exposure by regulating the amount of light from the flash.
Definition
The clarity of detail in a photograph.
Depth of Field
The amount od distance between the nearest and farthest objects that look acceptably sharp in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens aperture, the lens focal length, and the subjects distance.
Diaphragm
A perforated plate or adjustable opening mounted behind the elements of a lens, used to control the intensity of light that reaches the film. Openings are usually calibrated in F-numbers.
Diffuse Lighting
Lighting that is low or moderate in contrast, such as an overcast day.
Double Exposure
Two picture taken on the one frame of film, or two images printed one one piece of photographic paper.
Emulsion
A thin coating of light sensitive material, usually silver halide in gelatin, in which the image is formed on film and photographic papers.
Enlargement
A print that is larger than the negative or slide.
Exposure
The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper.
Exposure Latitude
The range of camera exposures, from underexposure to overexposure, that will produce acceptable pictures from a specific film.
Exposure Meter
An instrument with a light sensitive cell that measures the light reflected from or falling on a subject; used as an aid to selecting the exposure setting. The same as the light meter.
Exposure Setting
A combination of the lens opening and the shutter speed selected to expose the film.
Fill in Light
Additional light from a lamp, flash, or reflector; used to soften or fill in the shadows or dark picture areas by the brighter main light. Called fill in flash when the electronic flash is used.
Film
A photographic emulsion coated on a flexible, transparent, plastic base.
Film Leader
The short length of film at the beginning of a roll of film that threads onto the takeup reel in the camera.
Film Speed
The sensitvity of a given film to light, indicated by a number such as ISO 200; the higher the number, the more sensitive or faster the film. Note: ISO stands for Interntional Standards Organisation.
Filter
A coloured piece of glass or other transparent material used to emphasise, eliminate, or change the colour or density of the entire scene or certain elements in the scene.
Finder
A viewing device on a camera to shoe the subject area that will be recorded on the fim. Also known as the viewfinder.
Fixed-Focus Lens
A lens that has been focused in a fixed position by the manufacturer. The user does not have to adjust the focus of this lens.
Flash
A brief, intense burst of light from a flashbulb or an electronic flash unit, usually used were the lighting of the scene is inadequate for picture taking
Flat Lighting
Lighting that produces very little contrast or modeling on the subject plus a minimum of shadows.
F-Number
A number that indicates the size of the lens opening on an adjustable camera. The common f-numbers are F/1.4, F/2, F/2.8, F/4, F/5.6, F/8, F/11, F/16 and F/22. The larger the f-number the smaller the lens opening. In this series, F/1.4 is the largest lens opening and F/22 is the smallest. Also called f-stops, they work in conjunction with shutter speeds to indicate exposure settings.
Focal Plane Shutter
An opaque curtain containing a slit that moves directly across in front of the film in a camera and allows the light to strike (expose) the film.
Focus
Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define subject sharply.
Foreground
The area between the camera and the principal subject.
Frame
One individual picture on a film. Also, tree branch, arch, etc., that frames a subject.
Front Lighting
Light shining on the side of a subject facing the camera.
Graininess
The sand-like or granular appearance of a negative, print or slide. Graininess becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of enlargement.
High Contrast
A wide range of density (light and dark areas) in a print or negative.
Highlights
The brightest areas of a subject and the corresponding areas in a negative, a print, or a slide.
Hot Shoe
The fitting on a camera that holds a small portable flash. It has an electrical contact that aligns with the contact on the flash unit`s "foot" and fires the flash when you press the shutter release. This direct flash to camera contact eliminates the need for a PC cord.
Lens
One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper, or projection screen.
Lens Cap
A cap or cover that attaches to the front and / or back of a lens to protect it when not taking pictures.
Lens Opening
(See Aperture).
Lens Shade
A collar at the front of a lens that keeps unwanted light from striking the lens causing flare. May be attached or detachable, and should be sized to the particular lens to avoid vignetting.
Lens Shutter Camera
A camera with a shutter built into the lens; The viewfinder and picture-taking lens are seperate.
Lens Speed
The largest lens opening (smallest F-number) at which a lens can be set. A fast lens transmit more light and has a larger opening than a slow lens.
Light Meter
(see exposure meter)
Monopod
A one legged support used to hold the camera steady. Sometimes called a unipod.
Negative
The developed film that contains a reversed tone image of the original in an inlarger.
Normal Lens
A lens that make the image in a photograph appear in perpective, similar to that of the original scene.
Off The Film (OTF) Metering
Meter determines exposure by reading light reflected from the film during picture taking.
Overexposure
A condition where too much light reaches the film, producing a dense negative or a very light print or slide.
Panning
Moving the camera so that the image of a moving object remain in the same relative position in the viewfinder as you take the picture.
Panorama
A broad view, usually scenic.
Parallax
With a lens shutter camera, parallax is the difference between the what the viewfinder sees and what the camera records, especially at close-up distances. This is caused by the seperation between the viewfinder and the picture taking lens. There is no parallax error with single lens reflex (SLR) cameras.
Perforations
Regularly and accurately spaced holes punched along the edges of 35mm film to transport the film through the camera.
Positive
The opposite of negative; an image of the same tonal relationships as those in the original scene - for example, a finished print or slide.
Processing
Developing and fixing, and washing exposed photgraphic film or paper to produce either a negative image or a positive image.
Program Exposure
An exposure mode on an automatic or autofocus camera that automatically sets the aperture and shutter speed for proper exposure.
Push-Processing
Increasing the developing time of a film to increase it`s effective speed after using a higher than rated ISO number for the initial exposure; useful for low light situations. Also called forced developing.
Retouching
Altering a print or negative after development with dyes or pencils to alter tones of high-lights, shadows, and other details, or to remove blemishes.
Selective Focus
Choosing a lens opening that produces a shallow depth of field. Usually isolates a subject by causing most other elements in the scene to be blurred.
Shutter
A curtain or a set of blades in the camera that controls the time during which light reches the film. The shutter opens and closes when you press the shutter release.
Shutter Priority
An exposure mode on an automatic or autofocus camera that lets you select the desired shutter speed, and the camera sets the aperture for proper exposure. If you change the shutter speed, or the light level changes, the camera adjusts the aperture automatically.
Sidelighting
Light striking the subject from the side relative to the position of the camera ; produces shadows and highlights to enchance the sense of depth, form, and texture of the scene.
Simple Camera
A camera with few or no adjustments. Usually simple cameras have only one size of lens-opening and one or two shutter speeds, and do not require focusing.
Slide
A photographic film transparency mounted for projection
Soft Focus
Produced by a special lens that creates soft out lines.
Soft Lighting
(see diffuse lighting)
Telephoto Lens
A lens that makes a subject appear larger on film than does a normal lensat the same camera-to-subject distance. A telephotolens has a longer focal length and a narrower field of view than a normal lens.
Through The Lens (TTL) Metering
A meter built into the camera determines exposure for the scene by reading light that passes through the lensduring picture taking.
Time Exposure
A comparitive long exposure made in seconds or minutes
Tone
The degress of lightness or darkness in any given area of print; also referred as value. Cold tones (bluish) and warm tones (reddish) refer to the colour of the image in both black & white and clolour photographs.
Transparency
A positive photgraphic image on film, viewed or projected by shining light through film.
Tripod
A three legged support stand to support camera, and to keep camera steady during longer exposures.
Tungsten Light
Light from regular room lamps and ceiling fixtures. Not fluorescent.
Underexposure
A condition in which too little light reaches the film, producing a thin negative, a dark slide, or a muddy looking print.
Viewfinder
(see finder)
Vignetting
A fall off in brightness at the edges of an image, slide or print. Can be caused by poor lens design, using a lenshood not matched to the lens, or attaching to many filters to the front of the lens.
Wide-Angle Lens
A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider feild of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.
Zoom Lens
A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In affect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.