photographic terms.
Aperture: This is the size of the hole inside the lens which regulates the intake of light (also known as the F/stop number.) This effects the brightness of the image, however it also impacts on the depth of field for example the higher the F stop (such as 1.4) the wider open the lens is meaning a smaller depth of field (this term will be explained) But an f stop number such as 8-22 means the hole in the lens will be smaller making the depth of field larger.
ISO: This measures how sensitive the image sensor is. The lower the number the less sensitive to light it is, a number such as ISO 100-200 would be used in a relatively decent lit area such as in the sun or in a bright room. When taking photographs in a dimly lit area, a higher ISO is needed such as 600-800. However, many professional photographers stick to the rule of using the lowest ISO you can get away with, as sometimes too much "noise" is created in the image which means distortion of colours such as black essentially taking away the quality of your image.
Shutter speed: This is simply the unit of measurement used to determine how long the shutter stays open as the picture is taken. The slower the shutter speed, the longer the exposure time! This paired with aperture control how much light reaches the image sensor. Shutter speed also effects the clarity or sharpness of the photograph, however a slow shutter speed can be very useful when capturing movement (like sports or water).
Depth of field: The depth of field of an image means the amount of subject that is in focus. For example, a photograph with a small depth of field (or shallow) will have less in focus, a larger depth of field would mean there was more in focus. Different depths of field could be used for instance in portrait photography, where you might prefer to have a shallower one so the focal point remains strongly on the subjects face. The aperture usually determines the depth of field.
Composition: "The action of putting things together, formation or construction." This is the way in which a photographer decides to arrange his subjects, in order to create the desired composition. This is a very important term in photography.
Exposure: This is the amount of light which is allowed to be exposed to the sensor/ film during the taking of a photograph. A photo may be described as "overexposed"- this just means when parts appear 'washed out' due to the loss of detail. You may also hear a photograph being described as "underexposed" this means the opposite, when shadowy dark areas are lost and appear 'muddy' or indistinguishable from black. This doesn't always mean the photo is wrong, it may be an intentional effect caused by the photographer.
White balance: This is the adjustment that can be made so white objects appear the correct colour, however there are many different settings for different types of light as they can appear a different temperature (or colour). Therefore, if the white balance is not adjusted accordingly, images with a lot of white in them may have a certain hue cast over them for example fluorescent lights may cause images to have a greenish hue. There is sometimes also an Auto White balance setting (AWB).
ISO: This measures how sensitive the image sensor is. The lower the number the less sensitive to light it is, a number such as ISO 100-200 would be used in a relatively decent lit area such as in the sun or in a bright room. When taking photographs in a dimly lit area, a higher ISO is needed such as 600-800. However, many professional photographers stick to the rule of using the lowest ISO you can get away with, as sometimes too much "noise" is created in the image which means distortion of colours such as black essentially taking away the quality of your image.
Shutter speed: This is simply the unit of measurement used to determine how long the shutter stays open as the picture is taken. The slower the shutter speed, the longer the exposure time! This paired with aperture control how much light reaches the image sensor. Shutter speed also effects the clarity or sharpness of the photograph, however a slow shutter speed can be very useful when capturing movement (like sports or water).
Depth of field: The depth of field of an image means the amount of subject that is in focus. For example, a photograph with a small depth of field (or shallow) will have less in focus, a larger depth of field would mean there was more in focus. Different depths of field could be used for instance in portrait photography, where you might prefer to have a shallower one so the focal point remains strongly on the subjects face. The aperture usually determines the depth of field.
Composition: "The action of putting things together, formation or construction." This is the way in which a photographer decides to arrange his subjects, in order to create the desired composition. This is a very important term in photography.
Exposure: This is the amount of light which is allowed to be exposed to the sensor/ film during the taking of a photograph. A photo may be described as "overexposed"- this just means when parts appear 'washed out' due to the loss of detail. You may also hear a photograph being described as "underexposed" this means the opposite, when shadowy dark areas are lost and appear 'muddy' or indistinguishable from black. This doesn't always mean the photo is wrong, it may be an intentional effect caused by the photographer.
White balance: This is the adjustment that can be made so white objects appear the correct colour, however there are many different settings for different types of light as they can appear a different temperature (or colour). Therefore, if the white balance is not adjusted accordingly, images with a lot of white in them may have a certain hue cast over them for example fluorescent lights may cause images to have a greenish hue. There is sometimes also an Auto White balance setting (AWB).
After you've familiarised yourself with these
terms, get to grips with the history!
terms, get to grips with the history!