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- Refers to intentional background blur, popular in portraits.
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Aug 2, 2023 · With a history stretching back almost 200 years, the dictionary of photographic terms has grown enormously. From the letters found on lenses, through the names of obscure lighting accessories, in the glossary below you will find a full A to Z of what these terms mean.
- Basic Photography Terms – The Fundamentals of Photography Terminology
- Common Camera Related Photography Terms
- Photography Terms About Lenses
- Photography Terms About Taking Pictures
- Common Photography Terms For Problems
- Common Lighting Photography Terms
- Conclusion
Photography
Photography is the art or practice that involves taking photographs, either digitally or using film. The word in Greek means “drawing with light,” where photos means light and graphe means drawing. Many important photography terms you’ll see defined here have to do with light!
Aperture
Aperture is one of the first photography terms that come to mind when talking about photography terminology. Aperture refers to the opening at the back of a camera lens. It also refers to the size of that opening. The size is expressed numerically and represented as f2.8 or f/2.8. They control how much more or less light enters the camera as well as depth of field in a picture. Aperture is one of the three elements of the exposure triangle.
Circle of Confusion
The circle of confusion describes the largest blurry part of one single image, which is almost similar to the focus. The greater the distance of unfocused areas from the focused element in a picture, the broader the blur in your blurry image.
360-degree camera
This is also called an omnidirectional camera. Its field of view is equal to 360 degrees. Most of these bodies actually capture two 180 degree images and then stitch them together, digitally, to create a seamless photo.
Aperture Priority
Aperture priority, similar to shutter priority, is a camera mode where the photographer chooses the size of the lens aperture and the device sets SS and ISO.
APS-C
The Advanced Photo System type C is an image sensor format roughly the same size with classic negatives of 25.1 x 16.7 mm. This is the usual crop factorof entry-level and mid-range cameras. Other cameras like Nikon “DX” cameras have a 1.5x crop factor.
Distortion
Lens distortion refers to an image quality issue that distorts the elements in a photo. It creates curved lines where straight lines should be, for example. Barrel distortion appears as straight lines bending outward from the center. Pincushion distortion has straight lines bending inward. Most distortion can be corrected in post-processing.
Fast
A “fast” lens is one with a relatively large maximum aperture, usually f4, f2.8, or wider than f/2.8.
Fish-eye Lens
A fisheye lenshas an ultra-wide field of view, like 12mm. Its construction gives a really unique visual distortion, said to replicate how a fish would see a scene from underwater. The photography angle of view is usually 100-180 degrees.
Aspect Ratio
Aspect ratio refers to the ratio of the width to the height of both your camera sensor or film and eventually, the aspect ratio of the photograph and print. Aspect ratio is usually written as two numbers with a colon between them, such as an aspect ratio of 3:2 or an aspect ratio of 5:4. For example, the most used type of aspect ratio for photography are 3:2, 4:3 ratio, and 16:9 ratio.
Back Button Focus
Often written as BBF, the back button focus enables you to define a different button for focusing and a different one for shutter release. The photographer has changed the settings so a button is pressed at the back of the body to acquire and lock focus instead of the trigger on the top of her camera. Click here to learn more about BBF!
Bracketing
Bracketing is the process of shooting multiple pictures in a row using different exposure settings. This is perfect for landscape photography to take three or more shots. For example, shoot underexposed, properly exposed to light, and overexposed pictures that you can merge to achieve an evenly exposed image. Exposure bracketing is the most common type of bracketing, where you can use different levels of shutter speed with multiple brightness levels. Some Nikon, Canon, and cameras from other...
Camera Shake
Camera shake is a term used to describe what happens when your camera or movement accidentally shakes the device when shooting. Camera shake when you’re holding the camera often causes blur in your images.
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration is common image quality and color issue. It refers to small amounts of discoloration at the edges of parts of your image. Chromatic aberration is also called colored fringing.
Fringing
Fringing is a type of chromatic aberration where a violet ghost-like element appears on an image. It usually occurs when the lens cannot bring all wavelengths of color to the same focal plane, resulting in digital noise in dark portions of the image.
Ambient
The existing light in your scene.
Hard Light and Soft Light
Specular light that produces very distinct shadows. The transition between shadows and the bright portions of your digital photo is very harsh. Hard light creates lots of contrast. Soft light, on the other hand, has a large transition area between light and dark. Soft light is very diffused and has less light contrast.
High Key or Low Key
Hey key are bright images with bright tones with few to no shadows. Low key are images with darker tones, more shadows, and deep blacks. These photographs have very minimal amounts of mid-tones or whites.
Photography terminology is a language unto its own. Understanding these photography terms like depth of field, exposure compensation, aspect ratios, flash sync, and camera shake helps you master the skill and improve your body of work! Happy clicking!
Feb 26, 2024 · Full-Frame Sensor –. A full-frame sensor is the photography term used to describe the physical dimensions of a camera sensor that measures 36mm x 24mm. This is the same size as a single frame of 35mm film. It is relevant when discussing the focal length of camera lenses and their field of view.
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Aperture diameter = 50mm (bigger, more light through) F-number therefore = f/2. Imagine you cut a pizza into 10 slices. 1/2 of the pizza is way more than 1/10 th of a pizza, which would be just one slice. Inside your lens, it works the same way, and f/2 lets in way more light than f/10 – as seen in the example above.
Slang and photography jargon. Here are a few other photography terms that are a bit more advanced (including some wacky jargon and slang!). Become familiar with this terminology so you can talk to pros with confidence. Fast glass – Refers to a lens with a very large maximum aperture (such as f/1.8 or f/1.2). The lens is “fast” because it ...
Nov 28, 2023 · A complete guide to photography terms for photographers, from basic words to technical phrases to casual lingo -- this glossary covers it all.
Apr 11, 2024 · Image stabilization is a technology designed to reduce the effects of camera shake. It compensates for small movements or vibrations. The results are sharper photos and smoother videos. It does this by using various mechanisms within the camera or lens. This includes optical elements or sensor shifting.
