Photography Glossary

Photography comes with its own set of terms, acronyms, and technical jargon. This glossary covers 256+ essential terms to help you understand the language of photography. For more, see our photography terms cheatsheet guide. Click any term to learn more.

Jump to: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Z

A

• Achromatic / Apochromatic (APO) LensAn apochromatic (APO) lens is an optical design that corrects chromatic aberration across three or more wavelengths of light, typically red, green, and blue.
• AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing)Photo: Misty Sunrise with Tree by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Aerial PhotographyAerial photography is photography made from above the ground: from aircraft, helicopters, balloons, kites, poles, tall buildings, high ground or drones.
• AF TrackingAF tracking is the autofocus setting that moves the focus point across the frame to stay on a subject you chose.
• AliasingIs a visual artifact that occurs when a digital camera sensor cannot accurately represent fine detail or repeating patterns in a scene.
• Ambient LightIs the existing light in a scene before any additional photographic lighting is added.
• Aperture8, 1/2500s, ISO 100.
• Aperture Priority ModePhoto: Heart Shaped Flower by Duncan Rawlinson.
• APS-CA full-frame sensor measures about 36 x 24 mm, the size of a frame of 35mm film.
• ArtifactsIn digital photography, an artifact is any unintended visual element in an image that was not present in the original scene.
• Aspect RatioAspect ratio is the relationship between the width and height of a photograph, written as two numbers such as 3:2 or 4:5.
• AsymmetryPhoto: Lone Tree on Tiny Island by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Auto ISOPhoto: Ruby-throated hummingbird by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Autofocus PointsPhoto: Owl in a Tree by Duncan Rawlinson.

B

• Back Button FocusPhoto: Heron Takes Flight by Duncan Rawlinson.
• BacklightingPhoto: Backlit Oak in Rural Ontario by Duncan Rawlinson.
• BalanceColor balance and highlights are two of the most important aspects of photography and are essential for achieving the desired aesthetic.
• BandingPhoto: Gradient Sky by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Barn DoorsBarn doors are hinged metal flaps, usually four, that fit on the front of a light.
• Bayer FilterThe image sensor is the heart of every digital camera.
• Beauty DishA beauty dish is a shallow, parabolic light modifier, typically 16 to 22 inches in diameter, that produces a focused yet soft light with crisp shadow falloff.
• BinningBinning is combining the signal from a small block of neighboring pixels on an image sensor into one larger pixel.
• Bit DepthPhoto: Gradient Sky by Duncan Rawlinson.
• BitrateMeasures how much data flows per unit of time, typically expressed in megabits per second (Mbps).
• Black PointThe black point is the tone in a photo that is set to pure black.
• Blown HighlightsPhoto: Lone Tree in a Winter Silence by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Blue HourPhoto by Andrew Jephson on Unsplash The blue hour is the brief window of twilight before sunrise and after sunset when the sky takes on a deep, saturated blue tone.
• BokehPhoto: Rainy by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Bounce FlashBounce flash means turning the flash head away from the subject and firing it at a ceiling or wall, so the lit patch on that surface becomes the light source.
• BracketingPhoto: Misty Sunrise with Tree by Duncan Rawlinson.
• BufferThe buffer is temporary high-speed memory inside your camera that temporarily stores images after capture and before they’re written to the memory card.
• Bulb ModePhoto: July 4th 2024 Fireworks At Boldt Castle by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Burst ModeBurst mode, also called continuous shooting, makes your camera take photos one after another for as long as you hold the shutter button down.

C

• C-StandA C-stand, short for Century stand, is a heavy-duty support stand used in photo and film studios to hold lights, flags, reflectors, diffusion frames, backgrounds, and props.
• Camera ShakePhoto: Rain-Slicked Streets Under Film Lights by Duncan Rawlinson.
• CatchlightPhoto: Parrot Closeup by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Center-Weighted MeteringPhoto: Swan Surrounded By Ducks by Duncan Rawlinson.
• ChimpingIs the practice of checking the back of the camera's LCD after every shot to review the image.
• Chromatic AberrationPhoto: Sycamore Tree in Winter by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Circle of ConfusionThe circle of confusion is the largest blur spot that still looks like a sharp point to the person viewing your photo.
• Clipping5 stopsclipped to blackclipped to whiteabout 1 stop only the raw holds-11-8-5-20+2+5stops brighter or darker than middle gray (0 = what the meter aims…
• CMOS SensorThe image sensor is the heart of every digital camera.
• Color CastA color cast is an overall tint of one color across a photograph, so that things which should look neutral, such as white walls, gray pavement or white clothing, look orange, blue, green or magenta instead.
• Color Depth, also called bit depth, determines how many distinct colors or tones a digital image can represent.
• Color GradingPhoto: What Everyone Else Missed by Duncan Rawlinson Color grading in photography is the creative adjustment of a photo's colors to set a mood or a style.
• Color NoisePhoto: Northern Lights at the Lake by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Color ProfilePhoto: Granville Island Neon Sign by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Color TemperaturePhoto: Golden Sunrise Over Frozen Winter Vista by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Color TheoryPhoto: Sunset At Antelope Island 3 by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Color WheelPhoto: Sunset At Antelope Island 3 by Duncan Rawlinson.
• CompositionPhoto: Young Man Navigating the Fog Alone by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Computational PhotographyEvery time you take a photo with a smartphone, your device captures not one image but several, then combines, aligns, and enhances them using sophisticated software before showing you the result.
• Continuous Autofocus (AF-C)Photo: Cyclist and Motorcyclist by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Continuous LightingIs studio or location lighting that stays on throughout the exposure, as opposed to flash (strobed) lighting that fires a brief, high-intensity pulse synchronized to the shutter.
• Contrast Detection AutofocusContrast detection autofocus is one of two fundamental autofocus technologies used in digital cameras.
• Crop FactorPhoto: House On The Hill At Dawn by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Crop SensorA full-frame sensor measures about 36 x 24 mm, the size of a frame of 35mm film.

D

• Demosaicing(also spelled demosaicking) is the computational process that turns the raw single-color samples from a camera sensor into a full-color image where every pixel has red, green, and blue values.
• DepthPhoto: Layered Plateaus, Canyonlands by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Depth of FieldPhoto: Soft flower petals macro by Duncan Rawlinson.
• DiffractionPhoto: Layered Badlands Butte Beside Winding Road by Duncan Rawlinson Diffraction is the slight spreading of light as it passes through the opening in…
• Diffused LightPhoto: Shadows of the Forest by Duncan Rawlinson.
• DiffuserPhoto: Trees And Reeds In The Fog 04 by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Distortion (Barrel / Pincushion)Photo: Lomo Fence by Duncan Rawlinson.
• DNG (Digital Negative)Is Adobe’s openly published raw file format, introduced in 2004 as a universal standard that would remain readable indefinitely regardless of which camera manufacturer’s…
• Dodge and BurnDodging and burning is the practice of selectively lightening (dodging) and darkening (burning) areas of a photograph to add depth, direct the viewer’s attention, and sculpt light after the capture.
• Double ExposurePhoto: Double Exposure Sunset Over Toronto by Duncan Rawlinson A double exposure is one photograph made from two: one image shows through the other,…
• DPI vs PPIPhoto: Penguin Subway Tiles by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Dragging the ShutterPhoto: Kids Market Under the Granville Bridge by Duncan Rawlinson.
• DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex)The difference comes down to two things: whether you can change the lens, and how you see the picture before you take it.
• Dual Native ISOIs a sensor design that incorporates two separate analog amplification paths, each optimized for a different ISO range.
• Dynamic RangePhoto: Sunset At Table Mountain by Duncan Rawlinson.

E

• Electronic ShutterA mechanical shutter uses two physical curtains that cross the sensor in a few thousandths of a second.
• EnlargeHow large can you print a photograph from a given camera or file?
• ETTR (Expose to the Right)Photo: Misty Morning Reflections on a Quiet Wetland by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Evaluative / Matrix MeteringMatrix metering (called evaluative metering by Canon, multi-pattern metering by Pentax, ESP metering by Olympus, and multi metering by Sony) is the default exposure metering mode on essentially every modern camera.
• EVF Lag(electronic viewfinder lag) is the brief delay between real-world action and what you see in the electronic viewfinder.
• EXIF / MetadataEXIF data is the set of technical details a camera writes into every photo it takes: the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focal length, date and time, camera and lens, and often the GPS location.
• ExportExporting turns your edited master into a finished file built for one destination: a website, a phone screen, a print lab or a client.
• ExposurePhoto: Mono Lake Sunrise by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Exposure BlendingExposure blending is the technique of combining two or more photographs taken at different exposure levels into a single image that captures the full range of light in a scene.
• Exposure CompensationPhoto: Lone Tree in the Snow by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Exposure TrianglePhoto: Geological Features and Colorado River by Duncan Rawlinson The exposure triangle is the way three camera settings, aperture, shutter speed and ISO, share the job of making a photo the right brightness.
• Extension TubeAn extension tube is a hollow spacer that mounts between the camera body and lens, increasing the distance from the lens’s rear element to…
• Eye Detection AF3.

F

• F-StopPhoto: Heart Shaped Flower by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Fast Lens vs Slow Lens8.
• Field of View (FOV)Is the angular extent of a scene captured by a lens on a given sensor, expressed in degrees.
• Fill FlashPhoto: Shadow Runners by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Fill LightPhoto: Mono Lake Sunrise by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Film GrainPhoto: Grainy Bloom by Duncan Rawlinson.
• FiltersPhoto: Shoreline At Mallorytown Landing by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Fisheye LensPhoto: yet another boring photo by Duncan Rawlinson.
• FlagA flag is an opaque panel used to block light from hitting a specific area of a scene.
• Flash And SlashLight painting is a photographic technique in which you move a light source through a dark scene during a long exposure, or move the camera past fixed lights, so the light records as trails or as selectively lit areas.
• Flash Sync SpeedIs the fastest shutter speed at which a camera can fully synchronize with a flash unit, ensuring the entire image sensor is exposed when the flash fires.
• Focal LengthPhoto: Moonrise Over Cottage by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Focal PlanePhoto: Freezing Rain on Chain by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Focus BreathingLearn what focus breathing is, why it occurs, and how to minimize its effects in photography and videography.
• Focus LimiterA Focus Limiter is a physical switch or setting on a lens that restricts the focus range, preventing the lens from searching the entire distance from minimum focus to infinity.
• Focus Modes (AF-S / One Shot)AF-S (Nikon, Sony) or One-Shot AF (Canon) is a single-shot autofocus mode that locks focus when you half-press the shutter button, then stops adjusting.
• Focus PeakingPhoto: Spider Web on Fence with Dew by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Focus PullingFocus pulling is the deliberate shifting of focus from one subject to another while the shutter is open or while the camera is rolling.
• Focus Stacking
• Focus ThrowFocus Throw is the physical distance (measured in degrees of rotation) that a lens’s focus ring must turn to move from the minimum focusing distance (MFD) to infinity.
• Foreground, Midground, BackgroundForeground, midground and background are the three distance zones of a scene: what is near the camera, what sits in the middle distance, and what lies far away.
• FramingPhoto: Winter Wetland Stillness by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Front Curtain SyncIs the default flash sync mode on virtually every camera, in which the flash fires the instant the first shutter curtain finishes opening.
• Full FrameA full-frame sensor measures about 36 x 24 mm, the size of a frame of 35mm film.

G

• GammaControls the mathematical relationship between encoded pixel values and displayed brightness, particularly in the midtones.
• GelA gel is a thin, colored, translucent sheet placed over a light source to tint its output.
• GimbalA gimbal is a pivoted support that lets an object rotate freely about one or more axes, and in photography the word refers to…
• Global ShutterA global shutter exposes all pixels on the sensor simultaneously, rather than scanning line by line.
• GoboA gobo, short for go-between optic, is a cutout placed in front of a light to cast a patterned shadow into a scene.
• Golden HourPhoto: Golden Morning Light Streaming Through Forest Trees by Duncan Rawlinson Golden hour is the time just after sunrise and just before sunset when…
• Golden RatioPhoto: Vatican Museum Spiral Staircase From Below by Duncan Rawlinson Every photographer eventually encounters the rule of thirds, that simple grid that divides a frame into nine equal sections.
• Graduated ND FilterTo use a graduated ND filter, put the camera on a tripod and compose, meter the sky and the foreground separately, and pick a grad whose strength in stops roughly matches the difference.
• Gray CardPhoto: Old Farm Buildings In the Snow by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Grid (Lighting Modifier)A grid, in lighting terms, is a honeycomb-pattern attachment that fits over the front of a light source to narrow its beam angle, increase directionality, and reduce spill onto surrounding surfaces.
• Guide NumberGuide numbers are the key to understanding flash exposure without relying on TTL metering.

H

• HalationIs the soft glow that surrounds bright highlights in a film image, caused by light passing through the emulsion, striking the film's backing or pressure plate, and scattering back through the emulsion from behind.
• Hand-Holding RuleThe hand-holding rule, also called the reciprocal rule or the 1/focal length rule, says that to get a sharp handheld photo your shutter speed should be at least 1 divided by the focal length of the lens.
• Headroom / Lead RoomPhoto: Ruby-throated hummingbird by Duncan Rawlinson.
• HEIF / HEICHEIF is the High Efficiency Image File Format, a container for pictures standardised by the MPEG group.
• High Dynamic Range (HDR)HDR stands for high dynamic range.
• High Key / Low KeyPhoto: Reeds in the Snow by Duncan Rawlinson.
• High-Speed Sync (HSS)High-speed sync (HSS) lets a flash work at shutter speeds faster than the camera's sync speed, which is usually 1/160 to 1/250 second.
• Highlight RecoveryPhoto: Lone Tree in a Winter Silence by Duncan Rawlinson.
• HistogramPhoto: Lone Tree in the Snow by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Hot ShoeThe hot shoe is the mounting bracket on top of a camera designed to hold an external flash unit and other accessories.
• Hyperfocal DistancePhoto: Rocky Coastline And The Sea by Duncan Rawlinson.
• HyperlapseA hyperlapse is a time-lapse sequence in which the camera moves between frames, usually over significant distances, producing an accelerated moving-camera shot rather than a fixed view of changing time.

I

• IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization)Compensates for camera shake by physically moving the camera’s sensor to counteract unwanted motion.
• Image CircleThe image circle is the circular projection of light that a lens casts onto the film plane or sensor.
• Incandescent / Tungsten LightingIncandescent lighting, also called tungsten lighting after the metal filament in the bulb, is the warm, orange-toned light produced by traditional household bulbs and many studio hot lights.
• Incident Light MeterAn incident light meter is a type of handheld light meter that measures the light falling onto a subject rather than the light reflecting from it.
• Infinity FocusIs the focus setting at which objects effectively infinitely far away, such as distant mountains, the horizon, or the stars, render sharp.
• InterpolationIs the process of generating new pixel values from existing ones, used whenever an image is resampled, enlarged, rotated, or demosaiced from sensor data.
• IntervalometerAn intervalometer is a timer that fires the camera's shutter automatically at set intervals, or holds it open for precise durations.
• Inverse Square LawPhoto: Neil Young at the Closing Ceremonies by Duncan Rawlinson.
• ISOPhoto: Benches In The Fog by Duncan Rawlinson.
• ISO InvariancePhoto: Benches In The Fog by Duncan Rawlinson.

J

• JPEGPhoto: Bright Autumn Leaves with Sky Reflection by Duncan Rawlinson.
• JuxtapositionPhoto: Unicycle Girl by Duncan Rawlinson Juxtaposition in photography means placing two contrasting elements in the same frame so that the difference between them creates meaning.

K

• KelvinPhoto: Golden Sunrise Over Frozen Winter Vista by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Key LightPhoto: Mono Lake Sunrise by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Kit LensA kit lens is the lens sold bundled with a camera body, almost always a compact zoom that runs from wide-angle to short telephoto, such as an 18-55mm on an APS-C camera or a 24-70mm or similar on a full-frame camera.

L

• Leading LinesPhoto: Endless Road Through Monument Valley by Duncan Rawlinson A leading line is a line in a photograph, such as a road, a fence,…
• LensPhoto: Under a Burning Sky by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Lens ElementA lens element is a single piece of glass (or occasionally plastic or crystal) inside a camera lens, ground and polished to a precise shape.
• Lens Flare
• Lens HoodA lens hood is a short tube or petal-shaped shade that clips onto the front of a lens and keeps light from outside the picture off the front glass.
• Lens MountA lens mount is the connection between a camera body and an interchangeable lens.
• Lens SharpnessRefers to how clearly and crisply a lens can resolve fine details in an image.
• Light MeterPhoto: Swan Surrounded By Ducks by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Light ModifierA light modifier is any device or material used to alter the quality, direction, color, or intensity of light from a source—whether flash, strobe, or continuous lighting.
• Light PaintingLight painting is a photographic technique in which you move a light source through a dark scene during a long exposure, or move the camera past fixed lights, so the light records as trails or as selectively lit areas.
• Light Trails
• LinePhoto: Winding Road Black and White by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Live ViewPhoto: Spider by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Long Exposure Noise Reduction (LENR)Long Exposure Noise Reduction, commonly abbreviated as LENR, is a camera setting designed to reduce digital noise during long exposure shots.
• Lossless CompressionIs a class of file encoding that reduces storage size while preserving every bit of the original image data, allowing a mathematically perfect reconstruction of the source when the file is decoded.
• Lossy CompressionIs image encoding that achieves smaller files by permanently discarding information the algorithm judges to be visually unimportant.
• Luminance NoisePhoto: Northern Lights at the Lake by Duncan Rawlinson.
• LUTA LUT (Lookup Table) is a mathematical formula that transforms one set of colors into another, providing precise color grading and ensuring consistency across images or video.

M

• Magnification RatioExpresses the relationship between the physical size of a subject in the real world and the size of its projected image on the camera sensor.
• Manual FocusPhoto: Spider Web on Fence with Dew by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Manual ModePhoto: Lights In The Fog by Duncan Rawlinson.
• MaskingGlobal adjustments affect your entire image.
• Mechanical ShutterA mechanical shutter is a physical curtain or blade system inside a camera that opens and closes to control how long light reaches the sensor or film.
• MeteringPhoto: Swan Surrounded By Ducks by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Middle Gray (18% Gray)Photo: Rustic Winter Barns by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Mirror LockupPhoto: Rain-Slicked Streets Under Film Lights by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Mirrorless CameraThe difference comes down to two things: whether you can change the lens, and how you see the picture before you take it.
• Modeling LightA modeling light is a continuous bulb or LED built into a studio strobe, used to preview lighting before the flash fires.
• MoiréPhoto: Skyscrapers Downtown Toronto by Duncan Rawlinson.
• MonochromeDescribes an image rendered in tones of a single color, most commonly the neutral grayscale of black and white photography.
• MonopodA monopod is a single-leg camera support: one telescoping pole with a camera mount on top.
• Motion BlurPhoto: Split Log Over Stream by Duncan Rawlinson.

N

• ND Filter (Neutral Density)Photo: Silver Lake Stream by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Negative SpacePhoto: Tree At Brown's Bay Park by Duncan Rawlinson.
• NoisePhoto: Northern Lights at the Lake by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Noise ReductionNoise reduction is the editing step that smooths random grain and color speckle out of a photo.
• Non-Destructive EditingEvery edit you make to a photograph is a decision.
• Normal Lens (50mm)A normal lens is one whose focal length is roughly equal to the diagonal of the image sensor or film frame, which on full frame works out to about 43mm and is conventionally rounded to the familiar 50mm.

O

• OctaboxAn octabox is an eight-sided softbox used as a light modifier on studio strobes and large speedlights.
• Off-Camera FlashPhoto: Seamless Synthesis by Duncan Rawlinson The built-in flash or a hot shoe mounted speedlight fires light from directly above the lens, producing the…
• Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)(also called Vibration Reduction/VR, Image Stabilization/IS, or Vibration Compensation/VC depending on manufacturer) compensates for camera shake by physically moving optical elements inside the lens.
• OverexposurePhoto: Lone Tree in a Winter Silence by Duncan Rawlinson.

P

• PanningPanning is a photography technique where you track a moving subject with your camera during a slow shutter speed exposure.
• PanoramaPhoto: Cluster of Sandstone Buttes by Duncan Rawlinson A panorama is a photograph with an unusually wide field of view, usually at least twice as wide as it is tall.
• ParallaxPhoto: Storm Clouds Over Antelope Island by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Perspective DistortionPerspective distortion is an effect that occurs when photographing a subject at different angles or distances.
• Phase Detection AutofocusPhoto: Bald Eagle Flying Over by Duncan Rawlinson.
• PhotogrammetryIs the science of reconstructing three-dimensional geometry from multiple two-dimensional photographs of the same subject taken from different angles.
• Pinhole PhotographyPinhole photography strips the medium down to its most essential physics: light passing through a tiny hole to form an image.
• PixelA pixel (a contraction of "picture element") is the smallest discrete unit of a digital image, a single colored point in a two-dimensional grid that, multiplied by millions of others, forms the full picture.
• Pixel PeepingIs the practice of zooming an image to 100 percent or beyond on screen to scrutinize its finest details, judging sharpness, noise, and rendering at the level of individual pixels.
• Pixel PitchPhoto: Golden Tree Under Milky Way by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Pixel ShiftPixel shift is a computational photography technique that physically moves the camera sensor by sub-pixel increments between multiple exposures, then combines these shifted captures…
• Polarizing Filter (CPL)Photo: Maple Leaf On Stone In Lake by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Portrait Lighting PatternsPrint this page (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P) for a handy studio reference.
• PresetA preset is a saved collection of editing settings that can be applied to multiple photos with one click.
• Prime LensPhoto: Heron Eating Fish by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Print / PrintingA print is the physical output of a photograph, the moment a digital file or a film negative becomes a tangible object that can be held, hung, signed, or given away.
• ProofingSimulates on your screen how a photo will look when it is printed on a particular printer and paper, so you can see and correct the changes before you spend paper and ink.
• Pulling Film / Pushing FilmPushing film means shooting it at a higher ISO than its box speed, which underexposes it, and then developing it for longer to make up the difference.

Q

• Quality of LightPhoto: Shadows of the Forest by Duncan Rawlinson.

R

• RangefinderA rangefinder is a focusing mechanism that measures the distance to a subject by triangulation, and by extension the name for a camera that uses one.
• RAWA raw image is the unprocessed data your camera's sensor recorded when you took the picture, saved to the memory card before the camera turns it into a finished photo.
• RAW vs JPEGPhoto: Fishing Pier At Sunset 1 by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Rear Curtain Sync, also called second curtain sync, is a flash technique where the flash fires at the end of the exposure rather than at the beginning.
• Reciprocal RuleThe hand-holding rule, also called the reciprocal rule or the 1/focal length rule, says that to get a sharp handheld photo your shutter speed should be at least 1 divided by the focal length of the lens.
• Reciprocity / Reciprocity FailurePhoto: Skyscraping Skyscrapers by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Red-EyePhoto: crazy eyes by Duncan Rawlinson.
• ReflectionIs making pictures in which a mirrored image is part of the subject: a mountain doubled in a lake, a building upside down in a rain puddle, a street scene laid over a shop window.
• Reflective MeteringPhoto: Swan Surrounded By Ducks by Duncan Rawlinson.
• ReflectorPhoto: Shawn Johnson London 2012 Olympics 0145 by Duncan Rawlinson.
• ResolutionPhoto: Fiery Sunset Reflections on Toronto Condo Towers by Duncan Rawlinson.
• ReticulationWhy the emulsion cracks1.
• RetouchingPhoto: People Of Rome 12 by Duncan Rawlinson Photo retouching is the localized, detailed work done to an image after the basic edit: removing…
• Rim LightPhoto: Cloudy Sky by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Rolling BufferA rolling buffer (also called pre-capture or pre-record) continuously records frames before you fully press the shutter button, storing them in the camera’s buffer memory.
• Rolling ReadoutRolling readout is a sensor scanning method where image data is captured and read sequentially, one row of pixels at a time, rather than capturing the entire frame simultaneously.
• Rolling ShutterPhoto: Wind Turbines Copenhagen Denmark 083 by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Rule of OddsThe rule of odds is a composition guideline that says a group of three or five subjects usually looks more natural and holds attention longer than a group of two or four.
• Rule of SpaceThe rule of space says to leave more room in the frame in front of a subject than behind it: ahead of a moving subject (lead room) and on the side a person or animal is looking toward (nose room or looking room).
• Rule Of ThirdsPhoto: Geese and Tree at Corn Field by Duncan Rawlinson.

S

• SaturationPhoto: Church and Fall Color by Duncan Rawlinson.
• ScaleRefers to the relative size relationships between elements within an image.
• Selective FocusInvolves focusing on a specific subject or area within the frame while leaving the remainder out of focus.
• Self-TimerThe self-timer is a camera function that delays the firing of the shutter for a set number of seconds after you press the release, most commonly two or ten seconds.
• SensorThe image sensor is the heart of every digital camera.
• Shallow Depth of FieldPhoto: Soft flower petals macro by Duncan Rawlinson.
• ShapePhoto: Silhouette by Duncan Rawlinson.
• SharpeningSharpening makes a photo look crisper by increasing contrast along edges: the light side of each edge gets a little lighter and the dark side a little darker.
• Shutter Count(also called shutter actuations or shutter clicks) is the total number of times the camera's mechanical shutter has fired.
• Shutter LagShutter lag is the delay between pressing the shutter button and the camera actually capturing the image.
• Shutter SpeedPhoto: Big Wave Surfing in Tahiti at Teahupoo by Duncan Rawlinson.
• SilhouettePhoto: Silhouette by Duncan Rawlinson.
• SimplicityColor simplicity means limiting a photograph to a few colors, often one dominant color and one or two that sit close to it or set it off, so the subject and the mood read at a glance.
• SnootA snoot is a cylindrical or conical tube fitted over a light source to narrow its beam into a tight, controlled spot.
• Soft ProofingSimulates on your screen how a photo will look when it is printed on a particular printer and paper, so you can see and correct the changes before you spend paper and ink.
• SoftboxA softbox is a fabric enclosure that attaches to a light source, designed to create soft, diffused, and directional illumination for photography.
• Speedlight / SpeedliteTop of the camerahead tiltsand swivelsFresnel lens shapes the beamzoom: the tube slides totilt and swivel jointcapacitor stores the charge4 AA cells or a…
• Split ToningPhoto: What Everyone Else Missed by Duncan Rawlinson Color grading in photography is the creative adjustment of a photo's colors to set a mood or a style.
• Spot MeteringIs a camera metering mode that measures light from only a small circle of the frame, usually about 1 to 5 percent of the picture, and ignores everything else.
• StitchingPhoto: Cluster of Sandstone Buttes by Duncan Rawlinson A panorama is a photograph with an unusually wide field of view, usually at least twice as wide as it is tall.
• StopPhoto: Toronto Skyline Across Calm Harbour Waters by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Stop DownPhoto: Night at Front by Duncan Rawlinson.
• StrobeA strobe, in still photography, is a studio-class flash unit delivering substantially more power than a portable speedlight.
• Sunny 16 RuleThe Sunny 16 rule sets a correct exposure in daylight without a light meter.
• SuperResolution
• Sweet Spot (Lens)Every lens you own has a sweet spot, an aperture range where it delivers its best optical performance.
• SymmetryPhoto: Island in Whitefish Lake by Duncan Rawlinson.

T

• T-StopA T-stop is a measurement of the actual amount of light a lens transmits, accounting for absorption and internal reflection losses across all glass elements and coatings.
• Teleconverters
• Telephoto LensPhoto: Moonset Mount Whitney by Duncan Rawlinson.
• TetheringCamerasensor makes the fileComputertethering softwarebig screen, 100% viewEach picture, seconds afterthe shot, plus live viewFire, aperture, shutter, ISO,white balance, focusSaved to a folder on…
• TexturePhoto: Windswept Saddle Mirage by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Three-Point LightingBackgroundsubjectcameraKEYsets the shape30 to 60° off thecamera line, raisedFILLsets shadow depthclose to the camera,weaker than the keyBACK LIGHTseparates subjectfrom backgroundbackground light(optional fourth)The classic three-point…
• TIFFPhoto: Bright Autumn Leaves with Sky Reflection by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Tilt-Shift LensA tilt-shift lens is a specialty lens whose optical group can be tilted and shifted relative to the sensor plane, providing optical movements similar to those of a view camera.
• Time-LapseTime-lapse photography involves taking a series of photos at set intervals to record changes that happen slowly over time.
• TintTint in photography most precisely refers to the green-to-magenta axis of white balance, the second adjustment that works alongside color temperature.
• Tonal RangePhoto: Rain Over Evaporation Ponds by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Tone CurveEvery photo you open in an editor carries a hidden graph of its own tones: the histogram.
• Tone MappingIs the process of compressing the wide dynamic range of an HDR source into the narrower range a display or print can actually show, while preserving as much perceptual realism as possible.
• TripodTo use a tripod properly, extend the thickest leg sections first, spread the legs wide on firm ground, keep the centre column down, tighten…
• TTL (Through the Lens)Photo: Lightning Over White Rock Bay by Duncan Rawlinson.

U

• Ultra-Wide LensPhoto: Tidepool Landscape Crowdy Bay National Park by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Umbrella (Lighting Modifier)An umbrella is the simplest and most affordable light modifier in photography, used to enlarge and soften the output of a flash or continuous source.
• UnderexposurePhoto: Luminous Heart of the Woods by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Unsharp MaskUnsharp mask, abbreviated USM, is the classic image sharpening technique found in virtually every editing program.
• UV FilterYou do not need a UV filter for image quality on a digital camera.

V

• Variable AperturePhoto: Fishing by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Variable NDA variable ND filter is a neutral density filter constructed from two stacked linear polarizers, the rear element fixed and the front element rotatable.
• Vibrance vs. SaturationPhoto: Thousand Islands' Fall Palette by Duncan Rawlinson.
• View CameraA view camera is a large-format camera consisting of a lens mounted on a movable front standard, a film holder on a movable rear standard, and a flexible bellows connecting the two.
• Viewfinder (Optical vs Electronic)Photo: Electric Skies over the Fiesta by Duncan Rawlinson.
• VignettingPhoto: Elongated Island and Cloud Reflection by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Visual WeightVisual weight is the perceived heaviness or importance of an element within a photograph.

W

• WatermarkTo watermark photos, make a simple text or logo mark, save it as a preset in your editor, and apply it only to exported web copies, never to the original.
• White BalancePhoto: Caribbean Motel by Duncan Rawlinson.
• Wide Open8, 1/2500s, ISO 100.
• Window LightIs natural daylight passing through a window into an interior space, typically diffused by the glass, by sheer curtains, or by overcast skies outside.
• WorkflowA photography workflow is the complete sequence of steps you follow from pressing the shutter to delivering a finished image.

X

• X-SyncIs the fastest shutter speed at which a camera can fully synchronize with a flash unit, ensuring the entire image sensor is exposed when the flash fires.

Z

• Zone SystemThe zone system is a method for controlling exposure and contrast, worked out by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer for black and white film.
• Zoom CreepZoom creep is a common issue photographers encounter when using zoom lenses.
• Zoom LensPhoto: Cathedral Valley 02 by Duncan Rawlinson.

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