shedo terms 1

Question 1

AMBIENT LIGHT

Answer 1

The light in the scene, as opposed to the light provided by the photographer with flash, photofloods, etc.

Question 2

EXPOSURE

Answer 2

The amount of light that enters the lens and strikes the film or sensor. Exposures are broken down into aperture, which is the diameter of the opening of the lens, and shutter speed, which is the amount of time the light strikes the film. Thus, exposure is a combination of the intensity and duration of light.

Question 3

FOCAL LENGTH

Answer 3

The distance from the lens to the film plane or sensor that focuses light at infinity. The length, expressed in millimeters, is more useful as an indication of the angle of view of a particular lens. A shorter focal length lens, such as a 28mm, offers a wider angle of view than a longer one, such as 100mm.

Question 4

FOCUS

Answer 4

Causing light to form a point, or sharp image on the image sensor or film.

Question 5

FRAME

Answer 5

The outer borders of a picture, or its ratio of the height to width. The individual image on a roll of film. Also, to compose a picture.

Question 6

HOT SHOE

Answer 6

The mount on the camera body in which electronic flashes are secured. Hot shoes usually contain electrical contact points that signal the flash to discharge when the shutter is fired.

Question 7

ISO

Answer 7

A prefix on film speed ratings that stands for International Standards Organization, the group that standardizes, among other things, the figures that define the relative speed of films.

Question 8

MANUAL

Answer 8

An exposure “mode” where the exposure system recommends a setting that is then made by the photographer by selecting aperture and shutter speeds manually. The booklet one doesn’t read before using a piece of equipment.

Question 9

APERTURE

Answer 9

The opening of a lens, the size of which is controlled by a diaphragm. The term is commonly used to designate f-stops, such as f/4, f/5.6 etc. The wider the opening, the lower the f-number, the more light is let through the lens.

Question 10

MODE

Answer 10

A way of doing things. Exposure modes are pre-programmed, user-selectable ways of controlling the readings from the exposure system to meet certain subject or picture conditions. These include aperture-priority mode, shutter-priority mode, program-depth mode, etc. Autofocusing modes allow a choice of how the camera/lens will go about autofocusing.

Question 11

PHOTOGRAPHY

Answer 11

Writing with light.

Question 12

SHUTTER

Answer 12

In a focal plane shutter, a set of curtains travels past the film gate and allows light to strike the film within a set period of time. A leaf shutter is located within the lens itself.

Question 13

SHUTTER SPEED

Answer 13

An element of exposure; the duration of time in which light is allowed to strike the film.

Question 14

SHUTTER PRIORITY

Answer 14

An autoexposure mode where the shutter speed is user-selected and the exposure system chooses an appropriate aperture for correct exposure.

Question 15

SLR: SINGLE-LENS-REFLEX

Answer 15

A type of camera that has a movable mirror behind the lens and a ground glass for viewing the image. Film sits behind the mirror assembly, which swings out of the way when an exposure is made. “Single-lens” distinguishes it from TLR, or twin-lens-reflex cameras, where separate lenses are used for viewing and taking.

Question 16

WIDE-ANGLE LENS

Answer 16

A lens that offers a wide angle of view, usually in the 35 to 24mm focal length range. Ultra-wide-angle lenses range from 20mm to 8mm. Wide-angle lenses also allow use of very deep zones of focus.

Question 17

ZOOM LENS

Answer 17

A lens on which the focal length can be varied, as opposed to a fixed focal length lens. Zooms come in various focal length ranges, such as 35 to 105mm; all focal lengths including and within this range can be utilized.

Question 18

APERTURE PRIORITY

Answer 18

An autoexposure mode in which the aperture is selected and the exposure system selects the appropriate shutter speed for a correct exposure. Sometimes referred to as AV or simply A on exposure mode controls.

Question 19

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT

Answer 19

Any light not directly produced by the sun. Can be tungsten, flash, household bulbs, sodium vapor street lamps, etc.

Question 20

AUTOEXPOSURE

Answer 20

A method of exposure where aperture and shutter speed settings are first read, then set, by the camera’s exposure system. Various autoexposure modes allow for customization or biasing the readings.

Question 21

AUTOFOCUS

Answer 21

A method of focusing where focusing distances are set automatically.

Question 22

CAMERA

Answer 22

A light-tight box containing light sensitive film or sensor that is used to make images. Today’s cameras incorporate microprocessors and sophisticated exposure systems; in a sense, the instrument itself mirrors the age, just as the pictures it makes reflect the world in which we live.

Question 23

CLOSE-UP

Answer 23

Any photograph made from a distance that is generally closer than our normal viewing distance. Close-up pictures are often startling in the detail they reveal.

Question 24

COMPOSITION

Answer 24

The arrangement of subject matter, graphic elements, tones, and light in a scene. Can be harmonious or discordant, depending on the photographer, his or her mood, and the subject at hand. There are no set rules, just suggestions; successful compositions are ones that best express particular feelings about the subject or scene.

Question 25

CROP

Answer 25

To select a portion of the full-frame image as the final picture. Cropping is done in the darkroom or computer environment by the photographer, or by an appointed surrogate in a commercial photo lab.

Question 26

DEPTH OF FIELD

Answer 26

The range of distances within a scene that will recorded. Depth of field is influenced by the focal length of the lens, the f-stop, and the distance from the camera to the subject. It can be shallow or deep, and can be totally controlled by the photographer. It is one of the most creative and profound effects available to photographers.

Question 27

DIGITAL

Answer 27

Information used by the computer, represented by numbers. The buzzword for any capture device that converts photons to electrons. The use of that information to store, manipulate, transmit or output images in a computer environment. As opposed to analog.

Question 28

DIGITAL CAMERA

Answer 28

A filmless camera that converts light energy to digital information and stores that information in a buffer or directly onto a removable memory card.

Question 29

DIGITAL DARKROOM

Answer 29

The computer and image editing and manipulation programs.

Question 30

DARKROOM

Answer 30

The work space for developing and printing photographic film and making prints.

Question 31

ELECTRONIC FLASH

Answer 31

Known as a flash gun, strobe, or speedlight, it consists of a gas-filled tube that is fired by an electrical charge. It can be mounted directly on the camera hot shoe (which links the shutter firing to the flash firing), or on a bracket or stand and be connected to the camera via a sync cord.

Question 32

F-NUMBERS

Answer 32

A series of numbers designating the apertures, or openings at which a lens is set. The higher the number, the narrower the aperture. For example, f/16 is narrower (by one stop) than f/11–it lets in half as much light. An f-number range might be f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11…