Photography Flashcards
Aperature
The hole through which the light passes to the cameras sensor. The size of the hole can be varied using an iris-like diaphragm
Aperture Priority
Semi-automatic shooting mode that allows the photographer to select the aperture, with the camera selecting the required shutter speed.
Autofocus (AF)
Focusing mode in which the camera selects the required focus distance.
Buffer
The cameras built-in memory that acts as a temporary store for photos until they are written to a memory card.
Bulb
Exposure mode that allows the photographer to hold open the shutter for an indefinite period, usually activated by holding down the shutter button.
Continuous AF
Autofocus mode that continually updates focus distance until the moment of exposure
Continuous shooting
A drive mode that allows the shooting of multiple photos, activated by holding down the shutter button until the buffer is full.
Converging Verticals
Visual effect caused by tipping the camera back to shoot a vertical subject, which makes the subject appear to fall backward.
Depth of Field
The extent of sharpness in a photo. It extends out from the focus point and is controlled by adjusting the size of the aperture.
Drive mode
Sets how many photos a camera will shoot when the shutter button is pressed down.
dSLR
Contraction of Digital Single Lens Reflex; a camera system that uses a reflex mirror to direct the view through the lens to an optical viewfinder.
Dynamic Range
Term used to describe the ratio of the intensity of the darkest and brightest tones that can be captured by a digital sensor.
Exposure
The act of making a photo; also the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO setting required to make a satisfactory image.
Exposure Compensation
An adjustment of the exposure values set by the camera. Exposure compensation is either negative (when the exposure is darkened) or positive (when the exposure is lightened)
Filter (physical)
Sheet of glass, plastic, or optical resin that affects light passes through the filter in a predetermined way.
Filter (post-production)
An effect that can be applied to a photo, such as noise reduction or sharpening.
Focal length
The optical distance (in mm) of a lens focused on infinity from the point where rays of light begin to converge inside the lens to produce a sharp image at the camera’s focal plane.
Focal plane
Area insides camera where light is focused. In a digital camera the digital sensor is positioned at the focal plane.
Focus
To adjust the optics of a lens to produce the correct level of sharpness in an image when it is projected by the lens onto a camera’s focal plane.
Frame (camera)
One individual photo; frame is most commonly used to describe how many frame-per-second are shot when using a Continuous Drive mode.
Frames-Per-Second (fps)
The number of photos that can be shot by a camera over the course of a second when using a Continuous Drive mode.
F-stop
Name used to describe a LENS APERTURE VALUE.
Fully Automatic
Shooting mode in which the majority of shooting functions are controlled entirely by the camera rather than the photographer.
HDR
Short for High Dynamic Range. Technique used to create a photo with a wide dynamic range by bending photos shot using different exposure settings.
High contrast
A scene or photo where there is an extreme tonal difference between the darkest and brightest areas.
Highlights
The brightest parts of an image.
Histogram
Graph showing the brightness range of tones in an image.
Horizontal
Camera orientation in which the camera is held parallel to the horizon. Often referred to a LANDSCAPE FORMAT.
Hot shoe
Electrical connection and mount that lets a camera fire an external flashgun during an exposure.
Clipped
Term used when either the shadows or highlights in a photo are pure black or pure white, respectively.
aberration
A visual flaw in an image caused by the optics of a lens.
Angle of View
The angular extent of an image projected by the lens onto a camera’s sensor.
Aspect ratio
The shape of an image expressed a as a ration of the horizontal dimensions to the vertical.
ISO
Numerical value that reflects a sensor’s sensitivity to light.
JPEG
A compressed image file type in which some of the image detail is lost.
Kit zoom
Basic zoom lens commonly sold with dSLR and mirrorless cameras.
Landscape
Genre of photography that takes the natural world as its subject. Also used as a synonym for horizontal when describing a cameras orientation.
LCD
Short for LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY. The technology used to create the electronic Viewfinder and rear displays on cameras.
Lens
An assembly of glass or plastic optical elements used to focus light onto the sensor of a camera.
Low contrast
A scene or photo where there is a narrow tonal difference between the darkest and brightest areas.
Manual exposure
An exposure mode that requires a photographer to physically set both the shutter speed and aperture to obtain the desired exposure.
Manual focus
Focusing mode in which the photographer turns the focus ring of a lens to achieve focus.
Megapixel
Term used to denote one million pixels in a digital image
Metering
The act of measuring the light levels of a scene to determine the required exposure settings.
Monochrome
A synonym for black and white. It can also be used to describe a photo composed of a limited range of colors.
ND filter
Semi-opaque filter that is neutral in color and reduces the intensity of light passing through the filter. Usually used to extend the shutter speed.
Noise
grainy pattern that reduces fine detail in a photo. It is most commonly seen when either a high ISO setting or very long shutter speed has been used.
