A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
Z
Lens
One or more pieces of
optical glass or similar material
designed to collect and focus rays of
light to form a sharp image on the film,
paper, or projection screen.
Lens,
Adjustable-Focus
A lens that has
adjustable distance settings.
Lens, Coated
A lens covered with
a very thin layer of transparent material
that reduces the amount of light
reflected by the surface of the lens. A
coated lens is faster than an uncoated
lens.
Lens,
Close-Up
A lens attachment
placed in front of a camera lens to
permit taking pictures at a closer
distance than the camera lens alone will
allow. See also Close-Up,
Macro
Photography.
Lens,
Fixed Focus
A factory-set,
non-adjustable camera lens set for a
fixed subject distance.
Lens,
Macro
A lens that provides
continuous focusing from infinity to
extreme close-ups, often to a
reproduction ratio of 1:2 (half
life-size) or 1:1 (life-size). See also Macro
Photography.
Lens,
Normal
A lens that makes
the image in a photograph appear in
perspective similar to that of the
original scene.
Lens,
Telephoto
Makes subject appear
closer they it actually is. A telephoto
lens has a longer focal length and
narrower field of view than a normal
lens. See also Focal
Length.
Lens,
Wide-Angle
A lens that has a
shorter focal length and a wider field of
view. See also Focal
Length.
Lens,
Zoom
A lens in which you
adjust the focal length over a wide
range. In effect, this gives you lenses
of many focal lengths.
Lens
Speed
The largest lens
opening (smallest f-number) at which a
lens can be set. A fast lens transmits
more light and has a larger opening than
a slow lens. See also Aperture.
Light,
Ambient
The available light
completely surrounding a subject. Light
already existing in an indoor or outdoor
setting that is not caused by any
illumination supplied by the
photographer.
Lighting,
Flat
Lighting that
produces very little contrast or modeling
on the subject plus a minimum of shadows.
Light,
Soft
Lighting that is low
or moderate in contrast, such as on an
overcast day.
Light,
Tungsten
Light from regular
room lamps and ceiling fixtures, not
fluorescent.
Light Meter
See Exposure
Meter.
|
|
Macro Lens
A lens that provides
continuous focusing from infinity to
extreme close-ups, often to a
reproduction ratio of 1:2 (half
life-size) or 1:1 (life-size).
Macro
Photography
Photographing
objects from within a few inches. The
"macro" focus setting on many
lenses is usually just extreme close-up.
True macro photography requires a
close-up dioptre lens, macro lens, and/or
extension tubes. You can use several of
these in combination with each other and
your camera's regular lens to achieve
very close-up and macro photography.
Unfortunately, quality begins to suffer,
particularly around the edges of the
image, as magnification increases.
Metering may also become a problem with
extension tubes since considerably less
light reaches the film.
Montage
A combination of
images that create one image.
Motor
Drive
A battery-powered
mechanism that advances the film to the
next frame and recocks the shutter.
Popular for action-sequence photography
and for recording images by remote
control.
|
Negative
A photographic image
in which tonalities and colors are
reversed from the original scene. Usually
the film negative is used to make a
positive print.
|
Off-The-Film
Metering
A meter which
determines exposure by reading light
reflected from the film during
picture-taking.
Overexposure
When too much light
reaches the film a dense negative or a
very light print or slide is produced.
|
Panning
Moving the camera so
that the image of a moving object remains
in the same relative position in the
viewfinder as you take a picture.
Panorama
A broad view, usually scenic.
Parallax
Error
Occurs when shooting
very close up with a viewfinder camera.
The photographer does not see an accurate
indication of the subjects position
relative to the lens, so parts of the
subject that he or she thinks will be
photographed are missing on the final
photograph. Parallax error is overcome in
more expensive compact and viewfinder
cameras which adjust the viewfinder to
compensate for the distance the subject
is away from the camera.
Perspective
The angle or level
from which the photographer takes the
photograph; the camera and photographer's
"point-of-view."
Polarizing
Filter
A filter that can
eliminate undesirable reflections from
shiny subjects such as water or glass.
This filter also darkens blue sky.
Portrait
A pictorial
representation of a person or persons.
Pose
Positioning the
subject for a photograph (v); the
position that the subject assumes (n).
Positive
The opposite of a
negative, for example an image with the
same tonal relationships as those in the
original scene. Most prints and slides
are positive.
Print
A positive picture,
usually on paper, and usually produced
from a negative. See also Slide.
Program
Exposure
A mode on automatic
cameras that automatically sets both the
aperture and the shutter speed. See also Aperture,
Shutter
Speed.
Prop
An object used or
held by a subject in a photograph. Props
can set a mood or help define the
subject's personality.
|
Rangefinder
A device included on
many cameras as an aid in focusing. See
also Viewfinder
Redeye
The appearance of
deep red dots in the eyes of human and
animal photographic subjects. Redeye is
is caused by the flash reflecting off the
retina in their eyes. It can be prevented
by adjusting the camera angle, being sure
the subject does not look straight at the
flash, or with a redeye-reducing
pre-flash. The pre-flash causes the
subjects' pupils to contract, reducing
the visible retina and thus the
posibility of light reflecting from it.
Retouching
Altering a print or
negative after development by use of
dyes, pencils, or computer.
|
Safelight
An enclosed darkroom
lamp fitted with a filter to screen out
light rays to which film and paper are
sensitive.
Scale
Using comparison to
establish the proportions or measurements
of a subject. For example, placing a
person in front of the Washington
Monument provides a proportional for the
viewer. In macro
photography a ruler, human finger, or other
identifiable small object may be included
in the frame to provide scale.
Selective
Focus
Choosing a lens
opening that produces a shallow depth of
field. Usually this is used to isolate a
subject by causing most other elements in
the scene to be blurred. See also Depth
of Field.
Shutter
Blades, a curtain,
plate, or some other movable cover in a
camera that controls the time during
which light reaches the film.
Shutter
Speed
Shutter speed is a
measure of how long the shutter remains
open when the picture is taken. Automatic
cameras usually denote shutter priority
mode with the symbol Tv, meaning
"Time value." Typical shutter
speeds are 1/1000s, 1/250s, 1/15s and 1s
where s = second. Note that shutter
speeds are calibrated to be approximately
twice as fast as the previous setting and
twice as slow as the next setting. For
example, 1/250s is twice as fast as the
previous setting 1/125s, but is twice as
slow as the next setting 1/500s. See also
Shutter
priority.
Shutter
Priority
On semi-automatic
cameras, the user sets the aperture
(f-stop) and the camera automatically
selects the appropriate shutter speed for
the lighting conditions. See also Aperture
Priority.
Single-Lens-Reflex
(SLR) Camera
See Camera,
Single Lens Reflex.
Single-Use Camera
See Camera,
Single-Use.
Slide
A photographic
transparency (positive), usually created
directly from exposed film -- no negative
is created. Usually the photographer must
choose to shoot either slide or print
film. While it is possible to create
slides from prints or negatives or prints
from slides, it is moderately expensive,
so choosing the appropriate film type at
the outset is definitely desirable. See
also Print.
Spotting
Retouching a
processed print with a pencil or brush
(with watercolors or dyes) to eliminate
spots left by dust or scratches on the
negative.
Stop Bath
An acid rinse,
usually a weak solution of acetic acid,
used as a second step when developing
black-and-white film or paper. It stops
development and makes the hypo (fixing
bath) last longer.
Stopping Down
Changing the lens
aperture to a smaller opening; for
example, from f/8 to f/11.
|
|
Thin Negative
A negative that is
underexposed or underdeveloped (or both).
A thin negative appears less dense than a
normal negative.
Through-The-Lens
Focusing
Viewing a scene to
be photographed through the same lens
that admits light to the film.
Through-the-lens viewing, as in a
single-lens-reflex (SLR) camera, while
focusing and composing a picture,
eliminates parallax. See also Parallax
Error,
Camera,
Single Lens Reflex.
Through-The-Lens
Metering
A meter built into
the camera that determines exposure by
reading light passing through the lens.
Time
Exposure
A comparatively long
exposure made in seconds or minutes. See
also Shutter
Speed,
Tripod.
Tripod
A three-legged stand
used to hold the camera steady. Not all
inexpensive cameras have a tripod
fitting, usually a threaded hole on the
bottom. Tripods are especially useful
when using slow shutter speeds and/or
telephoto lenses.
|
Underexposure
A condition in which
too little light reaches the film,
producing a thin negative, a dark slide,
or a muddy-looking print.
|
Viewfinder
See Camera,
Viewfinder.
Vignetting
A fall-off in
brightness at the edges of an image,
slide, or print. Can be caused by poor
lens design, using a lens hood not
matched to the lens, or attaching too
many filters to the front of the lens.
|
|
