TECHNICAL GLOSSARY

PHOTOGRAPHY TERMS

AMBIENT LIGHT- This is the light that already exists and is available to the photographer or cameraman/woman before setting up flash-lights or any other kind of lighting.

APERTURE- This is a variable opening produced by the iris-diaphragm through which light passes through to the film.

BACKGROUND- This is the part of the scene being created that is behind the principal focus of the scene.

CANDID PHOTOGRAPHY- This is when photos are taken without anyone posing for them, usually without the subject's knowledge.

CLOSE-UPS- This is a general name for photographs taken from a really short distance.

CYANOTYPE- This is a photographic printing process, which produces a cyan-blue final print. This is accomplished using 2 chemicals- ammonium iron(III) citrate and potassium ferricyanide.

DEPTH OF FIELD- This is the range of acceptably sharp focus in front of and behind the distance the lens is focused on.

DIAPHRAGM- This refers to a couple of metal 'blades' that can be changed to form a large or small opening through which the light is let through.

EXPOSURE- This is when the light hits the film. The length of time that this occurs can be changed in the settings.

FISH-EYE- This is a type of lens that is wider than most other lenses and produces a distortion effect.

FLARE- This is when there is image degradation caused by light that isn't focused to form the primary image.

FOCAL LENGTH- This is the distance between the centre of the lens and its focus/subject.

FOREGROUND- This is the area between the cameraman/woman and the principal focus of the scene.

ISO NUMBER- This is the International Standards Organisation. The number represents the film's sensitivity to light.

JPEG- This refers to a digital image that has been compressed into a digital file. It stands for the Joint Photographic Experts Group. This group created the JPEG and other formats (JPEG 2000, JPEG XR).

LIGHT METER- This is a light-measuring tool used to measure and monitor both ambient, constant light (like, sunlight) and flash light from cameras and lamps.

MODELLING LAMP- This is a continuous source of light found in the centre of the flash ring on a flashlight, which is used to indicate what areas the flash will illuminate.

PINHOLE CAMERA- This is a camera in a form of a small box without a lens and a single, small aperture (a pinhole). Some light from a scene can travel through this pinhole to create an inverted image on the other side.

PROPS- This refers to any items used (by actors, or crew) around the set of a photo-shoot, theatre production or film production.

RESOLUTION- This refers to how sharp a digital image appears. The higher the resolution, the more pixels are present in the image.

SHUTTER SPEED- This determines how long the shutter is open when taking the photograph.

VIGNETTE- This is the reduction in brightness of the edges of a picture to frame the centre of the image.