For all those working with photographers, this listing
will help you find the real meanings behind the jargon. A free
to enter Photographic Glossary devised to help understand photo-speak,
Photography Jargon and problems with cameras.
A
Aberration
The inability of a lens to produce a perfect, sharp image,
especially at the edge of the photo.
(see Barrel distortion & Pincushion effect )
Accessory shoe
Metal fitting on the top of a camera which supports the flash
gun, also various other accessories such as a viewfinder or rangefinder.
(see Hot Shoe, Finder & Rangefinder)
Achromatic
A term which describes a lens system which is corrected for chromatic
aberration.
(see Chromatic Aberration)
Agitation
Keeping a chemical moving: Agitation helps to speed-up and achieve
an even development while processing film or paper. It also prevents
spotting or staining by keeping the developer, stop bath, or
fixer in motion.
Ambient Light
The available light. Already existing in an indoor or outdoor
setting which is not caused by any illumination created by the
photographer.
(see Existing light )
Analyzer
Instrument used in photo printing to determine correct colour
filtration (colour balance) when making colour prints. (see Colour Balance)
Angle of coverage
Concerning Large Format lenses: The maximum image area of
usable quality which a certain lens can produce (the image circle).
Known as the angle of coverage.
Angle of view
Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens.
A wide-angle lens includes more of the scene than a normal (standard
lens) or telephoto lens.
(see Standard lens,Tele & Wide )
Aperture
The opening in a lens through which light passes to expose the
film. Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-numbers, the larger
the number, the smaller the lens opening, therefore the slower
the shutter must be!
(see f-stop)
Apochromatic (APO lens)
Lens corrected for chromatic aberrations in all three primary
colours. Many manufactures use different names (i.e. NIKON use
ED)
APS
The Advanced Photo System (APS) was devised by a group of five
manufactures: Canon, Fuji, Kodak, Minolta and Nikon as a 'breakthrough
in camera and film technology' and created a new generation of
'point-and-shoot' cameras. Now, with hindsight, regarded as an
interim consumer product which just filled a gap until the more
innovative compact digital cameras became affordable. The film
size is smaller than 35mm.
(see 35mm)
Artifact
Unwanted digital image degradation (file compression) caused by errors or limitations during capture or created while processing, storage or transport.
(see JPEG, Lossy)
Artificial light
Light not originating from a natural source. The commonest artificial
light sources in photography are flash, and tungsten bulbs.
(see Tungsten light)
ASA (American Standards Association)
An old film speed rating system. Now superseded by ISO.
(see ISO)
Aspect Ratio
The ratio of width to height in an image. Wide-screen TV 16x9 and traditional TV 4x3. Still photography offers many aspect ratios, from square format (such as 6x6 cm) to various panoramic formats.
(see Format)
Available light
(see: Existing
light )
B
B ("Bulb")
Shutter setting on which the shutter will stay open as long as
the release is depressed. Used for exposures longer than the
numbered shutter speed settings.
(see Shutter speed)
Backlighting
Light from behind the subject, and towards the camera lens, so
that the subject stands out against the background. This sometimes
can produce a silhouette effect.
Background paper
Available in numerous colours, the rolls are hung from the
ceiling or a set of free standing poles. The common sizes are
9ft and 4ft 6ins wide.
(see Cove)
Bag bellows
Used on large format cameras in place of normal bellows when
wide-angle lenses are in use. (A flexible "bag" affair)
(see Bellows, Large
format & Wide )
Balanced Fill Flash
When a modern camera with a multi-segment exposure meter (Matrix)
is used with a dedicated flashgun the correct exposure can be
obtained for both the subject and background using 'Automatic
Balanced Fill Flash'. Balanced Fill Flash can also be achieved
manually using a little knowledge and technique.
(see Matrix & Dedicated flash )
Barn doors
Accessory used on lights to control the direction of output and
the width of the beam.
Barrel distortion
Lens aberration (distortion) where straight lines are formed
as curved lines in the image. These barrel shaped lines are most
noticeable along the edges of the photo.
(see Aberration & Pincushion effect )
Baseboard camera
Portable large format camera supported on a baseboard. It only
gives limited use of the camera movements.
(see Camera
movements, Field camera & Technical)
Batch
A set of numbers and letters printed on the packaging of film
and paper to indicate a production batch. The number is given
because of slight variations of colour, contrast and speed which
may occur between batches of the same type.
Bayonet
All modern 35mm SLR cameras now use a "bayonet" lens
fitting (a quarter turn clockwise or anti-clockwise will remove
or attach the lens). Each camera manufacturer has its own type
of fitting, therefore as an example a Canon lens cannot be attached
to a Nikon camera body.
(see Screw mount lens, 35mm & SLR)
Bellows
Large format cameras: The folding (piano accordion style) part
that connects the standards (lens and film back). Also a camera
accessory for smaller formats that aids close focusing.
(see Monorail & Standard)
Between-the-lens shutter
Close to the diaphragm, inside the lens are metal blades which
spring open and then close when the camera is fired, this exposes
the film.
(see Focal plane shutter)
Bit
A single unit of digital information. Using binary notation a single bit has a value of either zero or one.
Bit Depth
The amount of colour information associated with a digital image. An image with a higher bit depth can display more gradations of colours. The most common colour bit depth for digital photos (especially jpeg files) is 8 bits per colour, (a 24-bit RGB image). Professional digital cameras capture 16 bits per colour when shooting RAW files.
(see RAW)
Bitmap
A digital image created from rows and columns of dots called pixels, the more bits associated with each pixel, the higher the bit depth. Bitmap occasionally refers specifically to images in which the dots are either pure black or white with no shades of gray and the image can be represented with one bit per pixel.
(see Bit Depth & Pixel)
Bleach fix
Chemical bath in which bleach and fixer have been combined! Used
in many colour processes.
(see C41 & E6)
Blonde
A Type of Tungsten Lighting from various manufactures, rated
at 2000W.
(see Redhead & Tungsten light )
Bokeh
Bokeh describes the rendition of out-of-focus points of light.
Differing amounts of spherical aberration alter how lenses render
out-of-focus points of light, and thus their bokeh. The word
"bokeh" comes from the Japanese word "boke"
(pronounced bo-keh) which literally means fuzziness or dizziness.
For a full description go to http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.htm
(see: aberration)
Bounce
Flash or tungsten light bounced off a reflector (such as the
ceiling, walls or brolly) to give the effect of natural light.
(see Brollies)
Bracketing
The technique of taking a number of pictures of the same subject
at different levels of exposure. At half and one stop differences,
depending on subject and film type.
(see f-stop)
Brollies
Photographic white or silver Umbrellas! used to bounce flash
light off of.
(see Bounce)
Bromide
(see Bromide paper)
Bromide paper
Photographic printing paper which is coated with a light sensitive
emulsion of silver bromide, to reproduce black and white images.
(see: Emulsion, Fibre (FB) and RC paper)
Buffer
Memory in a digital camera that stores the photos before they
are written to the removable storage card.
(see Compact Flash)
Bulk film
Film purchased in long lengths and used in a bulk camera
back, in assignments which demand a large amount of film in long
continuous runs, (or with a bulk film loader, to reload cassettes
cheaply).
Bulk back
A device that allows the use of many many feet of film at one
loading: 35mm or 70mm (medium format). (see Bulk film, Medium format & 35mm )
Burning-in (or Burn-in)
To make an area of a print darker. This is accomplished after
the basic exposure by extending the exposure time (or opening
the aperture) to allow extra image-forming light to darken areas
of the print while holding back the light from the rest of the
image (with hands or card etc.); also called printing-in.
(see Dodging & Exposure )
Byte
A unit of digital information most often consisting of eight bits. File sizes and storage capacities are commonly described in thousands of eight-bit bytes (kilobytes), millions (megabytes), billions (gigabytes) or trillions (terabytes).
(see Bit)
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