Aperture Priority: With an automatic camera, it is possible to set the aperture and have the camera choose the corresponding shutter speed for a correct exposure. This is particularly useful for times when you need to control depth of field.
Aperture: The aperture is a circular hole in the front of the camera lens. It controls the amount of light that is shed onto to the film. The sizes of the aperture holes are referred to f-stops. The smaller the f-stop, the more depth of field you will receive in a photograph. ASA/ISO: ASA is the speed rating for photographic materials devised by the American Standards Association. The system is not replaced by the ISO system.
Asymmetry: The opposite of symmetry. Any photo that is not identical on both sides and centered in the middle third is asymmetric.
Back Lit: Lighting coming from behind the subject. Backlighting creates silhouettes unless the subject is also lit from the front.
Background: The plane of space behind the subject. There are three possible planes of space in any photo: the foreground, the mid-ground, and the background.
Burning: Burning is allowing more light to reach the printing paper in areas that are too light. This can be done by covering the areas that are correctly exposed and over exposing the light area.
Cassette: A cassette is a light, metal/plastic container that secures a roll of negatives.
Cleaning Cloth: To rub off dust marks, fingerprints, and other marks on lenses, prints, and negatives, we recommend using a cleaning cloth. Cleaning cloths are specially made for these surfaces. Everyday tissues and fabrics will scratch lenses, prints, and negatives.
Contact Sheet: A contact sheet is a print of a roll of negatives. Contact sheets are used to evaluate the pictures so that it is easier to determine which ones to enlarge and what corrections to make on the final prints.
Crop: To crop a photograph means to frame the image so that unwanted parts of the scene are excluded from the final print. It is best to crop the picture while taking the photo. Photographs can also be cropped when printing using the enlarger, or afterwards with a paper cutter.
Darkroom: A room used for processing or printing. A darkroom contains safe lights that will not harm printing paper, making it possible to see.
Depth of Field: The distance between the nearest and farthest point of a photograph. See minimum and maximum depth of field.
Developer: Developer is a chemical that converts a photographic, invisible latent image into a visible form.
Dodging: Dodging means preventing areas that are too dark in a print from overexposing. This can be done by correctly exposing the dark area, with the help of a test strip, and then covering that area while exposing the rest of the print for the normal amount of time.
Double Exposure: Overexposing the film by one stop in the camera.
Dust Spots: Dust spots can create white dots on the final print if the negatives are not wiped with a cleaning cloth before being placed in the enlarger.
Enlarger: A machine used to create a print from a negative. A negative is placed into the machine, shining the image down onto the enlarger table. Raising the machine makes the image bigger.
Exposure: The result of the intensity of light and time the light is allowed to act on the film/print.
Fiber-Based Paper: Fiber-based paper is more of a matte, absorbent type paper than resin-coated paper. Fiber-based paper creates deeper and richer tones because there is no plastic coating. Fiber-based paper needs to be washed in water for one hour as opposed to the ten minutes that RC paper needs.
Film: A thin transparent plastic base, coated with light-sensitive emulsion.
Film Speed: The amount of time that it takes for the film to be exposed. Higher film speeds are more light sensitive, and can be used with faster shutter speeds.
Filter for a camera lens: When you want to tweak the way a photograph looks before you snap the picture, you can add a filter to your camera lens to change the image. There are numerous types of filters, such as star filters, color filters, and contrast filters that can be attached to the end of camera lenses.
Filters for an Enlarger: When your negative appears flat, or gray, on the print, you can add a filter to the enlarger to create more contrast. Simply choose a filter and place it in the slot under the light bulb of the enlarger or on top of the negative carrier. Filters on multi-grade paper mimic the results of graded paper. Use high filters to sharpen soft photos and low filters to soften harsh photos.
Fisheye Lens: Pictures taken with fisheye lenses are distorted and have practically infinite depth of field. These lenses have an angle of view exceeding 100 degrees and up to 180 degrees.
Fixer: Fixer is a chemical used for fixation. It keeps negatives and prints looking fresh for a lifetime.
Flash: When taking a photograph in a dark area, it is a good idea to use a flash to light the subject. Flashes come in many variations. Some flashes are built on the camera, others are studio lights that are wired to the camera. Focal Plane Shutter: A shutter in a Single-Lens Reflex that lies in front of the focal plane. The focal plane shutter is an electronic shutter that is used in modern cameras.
Focal Point: A point where all rays of light meet at a common point of sharpness. When referring to a lens, this means the point at which the subject is in focus. In a photograph, this is the point to which the viewer's eyes are directed.
Foreground: The foreground is foremost plane of space in a picture. There are planes of space: the foreground, mid-ground, and the background.
Front Lit: Light shines on the subject from the front.
Grain Analyzer: A grain analyzer is an instrument used to focus the image in the enlarger. It resembles a magnifying glass, helping you to correctly focus the negative.
Half Exposure: A half exposure is when you underexpose the film by one stop.
ISO/ASA: ISO stands for the International Standardization Organization. This speed of film is used instead of ASA.
Leaf-Shutter: The mechanical leaf-shutter is used in the rangefinder camera. It is a circular hole that opens and closes when the button on the camera is pressed.
Lens Barrel: The lens barrel allows the image to be projected onto the film by bending light. Converging lenses cause light to bend toward the optical axis while diverging lenses cause light to bend away from the optical axis. Converging and diverging light changes the angle of the image.
Lens Focal Length: The distance from the lens where subjects come into focus.
Macro Lens: Macro Lenses allow you take an overall view of a scene and then zoom in close to isolate details.
Masking Frame: A masking frame is used to create a white border to a desired size when making a print in the enlarger.
Maximum Depth of Field: A picture with maximum depth of field has sharpness in the majority of the picture.
Meter: Many cameras contain meters, which are instruments that identify the lighting for a correct exposure. There are also studio meters, which are hand held instruments that identify the correct lighting exposure when using a flash.
Mid-ground: The mid-ground is the plane of space in the middle of the photograph. There are three planes of space: the foreground, mid-ground, and the background.
Minimum Depth of Field: In a picture with minimum depth of field, all planes of space are out of focus except one.
Negative Carrier: A negative carrier holds a negative in the enlarger so that light can pass through the image and onto the enlarger table.
Negative Space: Negative space is space in the photograph that is unused. There are no subjects in that area. Excellent photographs need negative space to keep the picture from being too busy and distracting.
Negative: A negative contains an image made by an exposure and development, in which tones are reversed so that highlights appear dark and shadows appear light.
Normal Lens: Pictures taken with a 50mm lens resembles human vision.
Overexposure: Overexposure occurs when light sensitive material has been excessively exposed. Overexposure causes increased density and reduced contrast.
Panning: Panning is used to follow the subject when taking a photograph. This creates a blurred background while keeping the subject sharp. Panning works best with shutter speeds below 1/15 seconds.
Paper Cutter: A paper cutter is necessary to cut printing paper to correct proportions.
Pattern: Pattern is an element of design and consists of an orderly or random repeated design.
Photo-Flo/Wetting Agent: Wetting agent is a detergent-type of chemical that improves draining and prevents drying marks from forming on negatives at the end of the developing process.
Positive Space: Positive space is space in a photograph used by the subject.
Printing Paper: Printing paper is light sensitive and used to print an image from a negative in the enlarger.
Radial Pattern: Radial pattern is an element of design. Radial patterns are spirals with a focal point in the middle.
Reel: A reel is a device used for wrapping negatives around to place into the tank for processing.
Reflector: A reflector is an object used to direct light onto the subject.
Resin-Coated Paper (RC): Resin-coated paper is printing paper with a water-repellent base. RC papers require little washing time and dry much faster when compared to fiber-based paper.
Rule of Thirds: The rule of thirds is a technique used to place subjects in a photograph. Photographers follow the rule of thirds when they place their subject in a place other than the center of the picture.
Running Water: Running your print through water cleanses the paper of all chemicals used in the developing process. Keeping the paper in water for at least 10 minutes prevents the print from turning yellow with time due to previous chemicals.
Safelights: Safelights are used to illuminate darkrooms because the photographic emulsions being handled are insensitive to their light.
Sepia: Sepia is a brownish pigment used to tint photographs. Sepia toner can be purchased in photography stores.
Shutter Priority: In an automatic camera, it is possible to set the shutter speed and the camera will choose the corresponding f-stop for a correct exposure. This is great for when you want to control the motion of a subject, such as sports or other action scenes.
Shutter/ Shutter Speed: The shutter is a mechanical system used to control the time that light is allowed on a sensitive emulsion.
Side Lit: Light hits the subject from the side.
Silhouette: Silhouette is an element of design. Silhouettes are dark outlines of subjects with a light background.
Single-Lens Reflex: A type of camera with many adjustment options. See cameras section.
SLR: Abbreviation for Single-Lens Reflex
Solarization: Solarization is the reversal of partial reversal of an image by extreme overexposure.
Stop Bath: Stop bath is a chemical used to prevent development by neutralizing unwanted developer.
Stretching: Stretching is an effect created by bending the paper during printing in the enlarger, distorting the projection of the image.
Symmetry: Symmetry is an element of design. Symmetrical pictures have patterns that have correspondence in size, shape, and relative position of parts on opposite sides of a dividing line.
Tank: A tank is a container used to hold chemicals for processing negatives. The lid of the tank allows chemicals to enter and leave without allowing light reaching the negatives.
Telephoto Lens: Pictures taken with a lens larger than 50 mm magnify the subject compared to human vision. Telephoto lenses are excellent for close-ups.
Test Strip: The test strip is used to find the correct exposure for a pint in the enlarger. Test strips are generally an inch in width and five inches or more in length.
Texture: Texture is an element of design. Examples of textured surfaces include pine needles, rope, and wood.
Timer: A timer is necessary when making a print in the enlarger. Timers help produce accurate test strips, correctly burn and dodge exposures, and dependable exposure results for prints.
Tonality: The tonality in a photograph refers to the variations of the different shades of black and white. The greater the shades of black and white are, the better the tonality. A photo consisting of mostly gray does not have good tonality.
Tongs: Tongs are used to handle paper when placing prints in different chemical trays during the developing process.
Tripod: A tripod is a thin stand that is great for mounting your camera when taking long exposures, portraits, studio work, or supporting a camera with heaving attachments.
Underexposure: Underexposure occurs when light sensitive material has not been exposed enough.
