Maryam Rizwan

2023-nca-arch-345

Photographic Terminology (Definitions)

Aberration: An optical imperfection causing distortion or color fringing in images.

Ambient Light: The natural or existing light in a scene without any additional artificial lighting.

Angle of View: The extent of a scene visible through a camera lens, determined by the lens focal length.

Aperture: The adjustable opening in a camera lens that controls the amount of light entering, affecting depth of
field.

Aperture Priority: A camera mode where the photographer sets the aperture, and the camera adjusts other
settings accordingly.

Aspect Ratio: The proportional relationship between an image's width and height.

Backlight: Light source positioned behind the subject, often creating silhouettes or highlighting edges.

Bokeh: The aesthetically pleasing out-of-focus areas in an image, often achieved with a wide aperture.

Bounce Lighting: Redirecting light off surfaces to create soft, diffused illumination.

Bulb Exposure or Bulb Mode: A camera setting allowing the shutter to stay open as long as the shutter button is
held down.

Cable Release: A remote device used to trigger a camera's shutter without physically touching it.

Color Cast: Unwanted color tint in an image, often caused by the lighting conditions.

CCD: Charge-Coupled Device, a type of image sensor used in digital cameras.

Color Temperature: The warmth or coolness of light, measured in Kelvin, influencing the overall color tone of an
image.

Contrast: The difference in brightness between the lightest and darkest parts of an image.

Depth of Field (DOF): The range of distance in a photograph where the subject appears sharp, controlled by the
aperture.

Exposure: The amount of light reaching the camera sensor, determined by shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

External Flash: A detachable flash unit used for additional lighting.

Existing light: The available light in a scene, whether natural or ambient.

Fill Flash: Additional lighting used to fill in shadows and balance exposure.

Flash Memory: A type of non-volatile computer memory used in digital cameras to store images.

Focal Length: The distance from a camera lens to its focus point, affecting the magnification of distant objects.

F-stop: A numerical representation of the aperture size, controlling the amount of light entering the lens.

HDR: High Dynamic Range, a technique combining multiple exposures to capture a broader range of tones.

High Key: A photographic style emphasizing bright tones and minimal shadows.

ISO: Sensitivity of the camera sensor to light, affecting exposure in low-light conditions.

JPG: A common image file format known for compression and loss of some image data.

Key light: The primary light source illuminating the subject.

Macro Photography: Capturing extreme close-up details of small subjects.

Megapixel: A unit of resolution in digital imaging, representing one million pixels.

Noise: Unwanted visual artifacts in an image, often seen in low-light conditions.

Optical Zoom: Changing the focal length of a lens to magnify or reduce the subject.

Over Exposure: Allowing too much light to reach the camera sensor, resulting in a bright or washed-out image.

Panning: A photographic technique where the camera follows a moving subject, creating a sense of motion.

Prime Lens: A fixed focal length lens without zoom capability.

Raw: Unprocessed and uncompressed image data directly from the camera sensor.

RGB: Red, Green, Blue – the primary colors used in digital imaging.

Rule of Thirds: A compositional guideline dividing the frame into nine equal parts.

Saturation: The intensity of colors in an image.

Shallow Depth of Field: A small range of sharp focus in an image, achieved with a wide aperture.

Shutter Speed: The duration the camera shutter is open, controlling the exposure time.

Shutter Priority: A camera mode where the photographer sets the shutter speed, and the camera adjusts other
settings.

Underexposure: Not allowing enough light to reach the camera sensor, resulting in a dark image.

Vignetting: A gradual darkening or reduction of brightness towards the edges of an image.

White Balance: Adjusting the color temperature to achieve accurate and neutral colors in an image.