Photography Terms

Crop Factor

most DSLR and mirrorless camera image sensors are smaller than a frame of 35mm film - the image they capture is cropped to the center of the image, effectively producing a higher level of zoom.

Full frame

High-end DSLRs' and mirrorless cameras' image sensors are the same or nearly the same size as a standard 35mm frame of film.

High dynamic range

Most digital camera image sensors cannot capture the full range of brightness (i.e., from shadow to highlights by midday sun) that the human eye can. This helps capture that range of brightness by taking several quick shots of the same scene, but with slightly different exposure settings, and then combining them.

F-stop

A diaphragm inside the camera lens, known as the aperture, can be opened or nearly closed, to regulate the amount of light that falls on the image sensor. The ratio of the lens's focal length to the diameter of the opening is the _____.

Live view

A feature built into almost all digital cameras and video cameras that allows the user to preview the subject on an electronic screen or in an electronic viewfinder in real time before snapping a photo or starting to record video.

RAW

A file format, usually proprietary to each camera manufacturer, that stores all the captured image data without compression. Usually processed outside the camera in editing software such as Photoshop.

Format

A horizontal or vertical orientation for a photo.

Macro lens

A lens specifically designed to shoot close-ups (4 inches or nearer) with little or no distortion.

Normal lens

A lens that captures the same perspective as the human eye. On a full-frame camera, the normal lens is roughly 50mm.

Telephoto lens

A lens with a long focal length (greater than 50mm on a full-frame camera) that brings the subject or action closer than it appears to the naked eye.

Prime lens

A lens with a single focal length, be it wide, normal or telephoto. Compared to a zoom lens, it is generally cheaper, faster (allows more light to pass) and produces less distortion.

Noise

A mottled or grainy appearance in images caused by electrical fluctuations on the image sensor.

Time exposure

A photo in which the camera's shutter remains open for more than a fraction of a second — usually, between 1 and 30 seconds. Moving objects will record as a partial or complete blur or streak, which helps convey motion or an expanse of time.

Bird's-eye-view

A photo shot from above, taken from a high angle.

Megapixel

A pixel, also called a picture element, is the smallest part of an image that can display full color. Even the smallest image sensors now create images with millions of pixels.

Interval photography

A setting found on many advanced still and video cameras that allows the user to program a camera to take photos or video frames at regular intervals to achieve a time-lapse effect.

Leading Lines

A technique in which real or imaginary lines in a photo lead the eye to the dominant element, primary subject, or center of interest.

Memory card

A tiny, flat, solid-state electronic device that records digital data.

Chromatic aberration

Also known as "color fringing," this distortion appears when the camera lens fails to focus on all the colors where two points of high contrast meet .

Noise reduction

An operation in the image processor that improves a noisy image by targeting and eliminating stray unwanted pixels (usually colored dots that are very different from the dots surrounding them).

Focal length

An optical measurement that determines how much of what you see in front of you is captured by your camera's lens. It Does not describe the physical size of the lens itself, but rather refers to its magnification.

Viewfinder

An optical or electronic eyepiece that allows the photographer to preview, focus and frame the subject.

Fisheye lens

An ultrawide-angle spherical lens that can capture up to a 180-degree field of view, or just about everything you can see in front of you.

Photo Editing

Brings together photographer and designer and involves selection, cropping, sizing, and the display of photos to optimize storytelling.

Framing

Composing a photo so that the subject is surrounded by content that highlights the subject.

Repetition of Patterns

Composition technique in which texture, lines, or another visual element repeats in the photo.

Interchangeable lenses

DSLR and mirrorless camera lenses can be removed, allowing the photographer to choose the best lens for a particular type of shot.

Rule of Thirds

Dividing the photograph into thirds vertically and horizontally creating four intersection points.

Cropping

Editing the image area to be reproduces. Removing dead space from the sides, top, or bottom.

Reference Photos

Group shots and portraits that provide a record of the school population and the membership of organizations and teams.

Wide-angle lens

Has a short focal length (less than 50mm on a full-frame camera) to capture a wider field of view.

Sweet Spot

In the Rule of Thirds, where the lines intersect.

Composition

Position or arrangement of the elements in a photo.

CVI

Primary subject that catches readers' attention first.

Bracketing

Setting a camera to automatically take two to six quick shots with a change in a single setting to increase the chance of getting a perfect shot

Photojournalistic Photos

Tell stories, show action and reaction. Provide a variety of subjects and points of view.

JPEG

The Joint Photographic Experts Group file format is the most popular for storing digital images from a camera.

Panorama

The ability found on many cameras, as well as in image-editing software, to seamlessly "stitch" together a series of adjacent shots, each taken at a slightly different angle, into a single, ultrawide-angle photograph with up to 360-degree coverage.

Perspective

The angle at which a photo is shot.

Photojournalism

The art of telling a visual story with photographs.

aperture priority

The camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to achieve proper exposure for the selected aperture

Image sensor

The heart and soul of every digital camera, it's the silicon chip (generally using CMOS but sometimes CCD technology) that captures the picture or video you're shooting.

Bit depth

The level of gradation used to define a shade of dark or light

Subject

The main focus of a photo.

Zoom lens

The most common kind of lens used on digital cameras, a zoom lens moves to change its focal length and cover a range of perspectives, often from wide-angle to telephoto, keeping in focus through the entire range.

Lens mount

The opening on the front of a DSLR or mirrorless camera into which an interchangeable lens is fitted.

Depth of field

The part of an image, from foreground to background, that is in focus.

Self-timer

The setting on almost every camera that delays taking the shot for a few seconds (usually 2 to 4 seconds or 10 seconds) after the user presses the shutter button. Its purpose is to give the photographer time to get into the picture, or to guarantee a steadier shot by avoiding having the photographer jar the camera when pressing the shutter button.

Angle

The specific location from which a photo is shot.

Program mode

This common mode on cameras automates aperture and shutter speed while giving you control over white balance, ISO, flash and other settings.

Optical image stabilization

This technology helps counteract the jittery motion caused by handholding a camera, which can result in blurred images at low shutter speeds (roughly below 1/60 second).

Sequence

a complete visual story that results from shooting before, during, and after the event or activity.

DSLR

a digital single-lens reflex camera uses a movable mirror along with a prism or additional mirrors to reflect an image from the lens into a viewfinder, so you can accurately frame and focus your shots.

Shutter

a mechanical curtain that opens and closes to expose the image sensor. Longer (slower) speeds allow more light to reach the image sensor, which can be good for night shots but increases the chance of motion blur. Shorter (faster) speeds can freeze fast action.

Worm's-eye view

a photo shot from below, or a ground-level angle.

Electronic viewfinder (EVF)

a tiny, high-definition LCD screen that provides a preview directly from the image sensor.

aperture

an adjustable opening in the lens that regulates how much light passes through

White balance

an automatic or manual adjustment to a digital camera's color readings so whites appear to be white (and all other colors are also accurate) regardless of the illumination source.

APS-C

an image sensor roughly one-third to one-half the size of a 35mm frame of film, or full-frame image sensor

ISO

refers to the sensitivity of a camera's image sensor. Each doubling of the value — for example, from 100 to 200, or 400 to 800 — denotes a doubling of light sensitivity.

CMOS

the most popular type of image sensor and can be found in everything from cellphones to pro DSLRs. Its low-light sensitivity and ability to provide live preview and video capture to DSLRs have made it extremely popular.

TIFF

this image file stores all the data of an image in a "loss-less" format that allows the file to be smaller than RAW files but more detailed than JPEG images.