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Aberration: the failure of a mirror, refracting surface, or lens to produce an exact duplication between an object and its image.
Adapter ring: Circular mount, available in several sizes, enabling accessories such as filters to be used with lenses of different diameters.
Aerial perspective: The distance or depth effect caused by atmospheric haze. Haze creates a large amount of extraneous ultra-violet light to which all photographic emulsions are sensitive.
AF: see Auto Focus
Aliasing: An effect most visible on budget digital cameras where straight lines (especially diagonals) appear with an ugly saw-toothed edge owing to lack of resolution. This is also known as jaggies.
Ambient Lighting: The available natural 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 i.e. not by artificial light source.
Angle of view: is the maximum angle of acceptance of a lens which is capable of producing an image of usable quality on the film.
Anti-aliasing: a method of smoothing out and sharpening the rough, ragged, or fuzzy edges of digital images in order to produce a more polished look. It is a mathematical process that operates by averaging the colors surrounding an edge.
Aperture: The lens opening, which permits light to expose the CCD on a digital camera or film (in a traditional camera). The aperture size is either fixed or adjustable, and is calibrated in F-Stop numbers; the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening.
Archival: The ability of a material, including some printing papers and compact discs, to last for many years.
Artifacts: Unwanted visual effects resulting from a computer graphics process, e.g., scanning or compression. Some programs use a refresh command to remove artifacts. See also Aliasing, Anti-aliasing, Moire pattern.
Artificial Lighting: Any light other than natural daylight (or Ambient Lighting).
ASA: American Standards Association. Group that determining numerical ratings of speed for US made photosensitive products. (eg: films) In 1982, its role and its influence was narrow down by the establishment of the ISO (International Standards Organization).
Aspect Ratio: The ratio of width to height in photographic prints - 2:3 in 35 mm pictures to produce photographs most commonly measuring 3.5 x 5 inches or 4 x 6 inches; Advanced Photo System cameras deliver three aspect ratios as selected by the user.
Auto Exposure: A photosensitive cell measures the light coming into the camera, then sets an appropriate shutter speed and aperture for the film speed and lens in use.
Auto Exposure Bracketing: Auto Exposure Bracketing performs automatic exposure bracketing with varied shutter speed and/or aperture.
Auto Exposure Lock (AE-L): Metering feature that used to hold the exposure setting when used in the automatic mode. Used most commonly in situation where off centering of the subject in composition and wish to retain the exposure setting of the subject OR where the level of exposure reading both the subject of interest and the background exposure reading is different eg. back lighting. Used to hold an automatically controlled shutter speed and/or aperture. Recommended when the photographer wants to control an exposure based on a scene's particular brightness area with Center Weighted or Spot Metering.
Auto Focus (AF): An electronic system that automatically focuses the lens.
AF Lock: Stops Auto Focus operation once the subject is in focus. Useful when shooting a subject outside the focus area in the viewfinder. The photographer should first lock the focus with the subject inside the focus area, then recompose the shot as necessary.
AF Sensor: the sensor used to detect focus.
Automatic White Balance (AWB) : The human eye adjusts to the different colors of a light source (fluorescent, tungsten, daylight, etc.) and still sees white as white. AWB automatically makes this adjustment for the camera.
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Backlighting: Light coming from behind the subject, toward the camera lens, so that the subject stands out vividly against the background. Sometimes produces a silhouette effect. Always use something (a hand, a lens shade to avoid the light falls onto the lens - to avoid lens flares).
Bit: A bit, which stands for binary digit, is the smallest unit of digital information. Eight bits equals one byte. Digital images are often described by the number of bits used to represent each pixel. i.e. a 1-bit image is monochrome; an 8-bit image supports 256 colors or grayscale; while 24 or 32-bit supports true color.
Bitmap: A method of storing digital information that maps an image pixel out, bit by bit. The density of the pixels determines how sharp the image resolution will be. Most image files are bit mapped. This type of file gives you the 'jaggies,' stair-stepped edges that become apparent when you zoom in. Bitmap images are compatible with all types of computers. The desktop for all Windows machines uses .bmp files, while the Macintosh uses .pict files. Most Internet publishing and e-mail use JPEG or .JPG and .GIF formats. Canon PowerShot cameras store their pictures in JPEG format.
BMP:The bit-mapped file format used by Microsoft Windows. The BMP format supports RGB, indexed-color, grayscale, and Bitmap color modes.
Bounce Lighting: Flash or tungsten light bounced off a reflector (such as the ceiling or walls) or attachment that fits on the flash (like the LumiQuest's Pocket Bouncer) to give the effect of natural or available light.
Bracketing: Taking a series of photographs of the same subject at different exposures to insure the "correct" exposure; useful when shooting in situations where a normal metering reading is difficult to obtain. Taking additional pictures of the subject through a range of exposures-both lighter and darker-when unsure of the correct exposure.Some top cameras have provision for automatic bracketing, while manually you can bracket by the use of, say, adjust apertures or shuttle speeds setting or both, manually influent the ASA setting or even adjust the flash output power etc...
Burning:
Burning is giving a part of a print extra exposure by printing
through a suitable aperture - often created by the printers
hands or a hole in a piece of card. Generally the aperture should be well above
the paper and kept in constant motion to avoid an obvious darker patch. (Also
see Dodging)
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A
better Dodge and Burn Instead of using the Dodge and Burn Tools inside of Photoshop (which by the way are very damaging), simply create a new layer and chenge its Mode from Normal to Soft Light. By painting with White you dodge, and with Black you burn. You can also see step-by-step instructions for this on the Articles page, under the article: Make any photo of a person, better! |
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Cable Release: A cable release fits into a conical screw fitting on the shutter release - usually on the actual lens in a large format camera and on the body in smaller cameras. Not all cameras have a fitting for a cable release. It consists of a flexible cable, usually between 6" and 18" in length, inside an outer casing with a plunger at the far end. When this plunger is pushed in the shutter is fired.
Camera Angles: Various positions of the camera (high, medium, or low; and left, right, or straight on) with respect to the subject, each giving a different viewpoint, perspective or visual effect.
Camera shake: Movement of camera caused by unsteady hold or support, vibration, etc., leading, particularly at slower shutter speeds, to a blurred image on the film. It is a major cause of un-sharp pictures, especially with long focus lenses.
Candid Pictures: Un-posed pictures of people, often taken without the subject's knowledge. These usually appear more natural and relaxed than posed pictures.
CCD: Charge-coupled device. The image sensor that separates the spectrum of color into red, green and blue for digital processing by the camera. In digital cameras both Area and Linear CCDs are used. A CCD captures only black-and-white images. The image is passed through red, green and blue filters in order to capture color.
Close-Up: A picture taken with the subject close to the camera-usually less than two or three feet away, but it can be as close as a few inches.
Close-Up Lens: 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.
CMOS: Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. A type of semiconductor that has been, until the EOS D30, widely unavailable for digital cameras. CMOS semiconductors use two circuits, negative and positive polarity circuits. Because only one of the circuits can be on at once, CMOS chips are less energy consuming than other chips that utilize simply one type of transistor. This is a clear advantage of the CMOS sensor over the standard CCDs in use today.
CMYK: a.k.a. Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK. The color model in which all colors are described as combinations of these four colors. Most color printers, ink-jet, laser, dye-sublimation, thermal, and crayon printers use these as their printer colors. One of the biggest challenges of desktop publishing is color matching because the conversion from RGB to CMYK can cause color shifts - making it difficult to match the print with what is on your monitor.
Coated Lens: 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 (transmits more light) than an uncoated lens.
Color Balance: How a color film reproduces the colors of a scene. Color films are made to be exposed by light of a certain color quality such as daylight or tungsten. Color balance also refers to the reproduction of colors in color prints, which can be altered during the printing process.
Color Calibration: A system of software and/or hardware that matches the colors between two or more digital devices. Color calibration systems commonly compare device color profiles and translate one color model into a device-independent language that the next color device can use.
Color Correction: The process of adjusting an image to compensate for scanner deficiencies or output device characteristics.
Color Curve: A graphic mechanism for displaying color measurements and for making color changes to an image. User adjustments to the angle and slope of the curve implement color changes to one or all of an images color channels.
Color depth: for images, color depth refers to the amount of information required to specify the color or level of a pixel. See also Dynamic range.
Color Management System (CMS): A combination of software and or hardware devices used to produce accurate color results throughout a digital imaging system.
Color Model: Refers to the component colors used in the image, such as RGB or CMYK. This is also called a Color Space or Color System.
Color Negative: Film designed to produce color image with both tones and colors reversed for subsequent printing to a positive image, usually on paper.
Color Separation: The electronic or photographic process of separating a single RGB color image into the three subtractive primary colors CMY plus K (black) that will be used for reproduction. These four monochrome films are used to produce the plates in four color printing.
Color temperature: Description of the color of a light-source by comparing it with the color of light emitted by a (theoretical) perfect radiator at a particular temperature expressed in kelvins (K). Thus "photographic daylight" has a color temperature of about 5500K. Photographic tungsten lights have color temperatures of either 3400K or 3200K depending on their construction.
Colorimeter: A device for measuring color values.
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CompactFlash Card: A digital image storing mechanism that is increasing in popularity and thus functionality. CompactFlash Type I cards use Flash memory which is a safe, highly reliable form of storage that doesn't need power to hold the images after they are saved. It won't erase the images unless the user chooses to do so. CompactFlash also comes in a second Type (Type II) which usually is a Microdrive (hard drive) and a little less stable and much easier to damage than Flash memory. (Some cameras can use both a Type I and Type II format card.) |
Compression: The compression of digital files in a format that requires less storage space. Compression techniques are distinguished from each other by whether they remove detail and color from the image. Lossless techniques compress image data without removing detail; lossy techniques compress images by removing some detail. Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) is a lossy compression technique supported by JPEG, PDF, and PostScript language file formats. PowerShot digital cameras store their images in JPEG format, which provides the best results with continuous-tone images, such as photographs, when the size of the file is an important factor.
Computer-to-Plate: A method of applying an image onto an offset printing plate. The image is transferred from a computer directly to the device that exposes the image onto the plate, bypassing the need for separations and film.
Contact Print: A print made by exposing photographic paper while it is held tightly against the negative. Images in the print will be the same size as those in the negative.
Contrast: The range of difference in the light to dark areas of a negative, print, or slide (also called density); the brightness range of a subject or the scene lighting. It may be also explained as tonal difference. More often used to compare original and reproduction. A negative may be said to be of high contrast if it shows fewer, more widely spaced tones than in the original. Or another way to explain, a difference in visual brilliance between one part of the image and another; without contrast, there would be no such thing as a visible image; a line in a photograph is visible only because it is either darker or lighter in tone than the background;every distinguishable part of the image is the result of a contrast in tonal values.
Contact Printer: A device used for contact-printing that consists of a light tight box with an internal light source and a printing frame to position the negative against the photographic paper in front of the light.
Continuous Servo (Nikon's term): AF Focus detection continues as long as shutter release button is lightly pressed and the reflex mirror is in the viewing position. Useful when the camera-to-subject distance is likely to change.
CPU (Central Processing Unit): The electronic component that controls an electronic product's functions. Essentially, all automatic cameras have at least a CPU to control various functions of the cameras. Some top models have three to five CPU to handle individual task functions - some handle the exposure, one handle the auto focus and so on. The latest on some top models utilizing 8 or 16 bits chips now. Newer auto focus lenses have built-in CPUs to relay information relating to focal length, distance info, lens type to the camera body for exposure to AF processing.
Cropping:
Printing only part of the image that is in the negative
or slide, usually for a more pleasing composition, in medium
format, esp the 6 x 6, some form of cropping is necessary for publishing on
A4 magazine format. May also refer to the framing of the scene in the viewfinder.
| |
Use
Tight Cropping To Spice Up Images We've all had those times when we're given less-than-spectacular images to work with. It's your client's son or daughter, or maybe a really bad snapshot of a boring showroom or storefront. Here's a quick tip to give unimpressive photos a cool, hip, new look: Simply use the Crop tool to tightly crop the image. You may even try rotating the image slightly, to give it that hip look. I know, it's really a no-brainer, but it does add a little pizzazz to boring images. |
Curvature of Field:
This optical defect causes points on an object plane perpendicular to the lens
axis to focus on a curved surface rather than a plane.
Cyan: One of the three subtractive primary colors. Produced by mixing equal amounts of blue and green projected light. Cyan is also one of the four colors used in 4-color printing
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Darkroom: A light tight area used for processing films and for printing and processing papers; also for loading and unloading film holders and some cameras. For image purist, the cycle of photograph is not complete if the darkroom process is not handled personally.
DCS (Desktop Color Separation): A file format used by many vendors for the separation of color images on a PostScript printer.
Dedicated Flash: A fully automatic flash that works only with specific cameras. Dedicated flash units automatically set the proper flash sync speed and lens aperture, and electronic sensors within the camera automatically control exposure by regulating the amount of light from the flash. A simple glance can differentiate by identifying the multiple contacts on the hot shoe (the place where the flash is mounted).
Densitometer: An instrument used for measuring the optical density of an area in a negative or print.
Density: The blackness of an area in a negative or print that determines the amount of light that will pass through it or reflect from it. Sometimes referred to as contrast.
Depth-of-field: The zone of in-focus elements, from front to back. Another way to put this is the range of distance that is acceptably sharp within a photograph. Depth-of field varies inversely with the aperture opening. In other words, a wide-open lens with an aperture of f/1.8 has little depth of field; if stopped down to f/16, almost everything from front to back will be sharply in focus.
Depth of Focus: The distance range over which the film could be shifted at the film plane inside the camera and still have the subject appear in sharp focus; often misused to mean depth of field. Also see "depth of field".
Developer: A solution used to make visible the image produced by allowing light to fall on the light-sensitive material. The basic constituent is a developing agent which reduces the light-struck silver halide to metallic silver. Color developers include chemicals which produce colored dyes coincidentally with reduction of the silver halides.
Developing Tank: A light tight container used for processing film, a darkroom's essential accessory.
Developer: 1. A chemical solution that changes invisible images exposed on light-sensitive film or paper into a visible image; utilized in traditional camera film processing. 2. Referring to a software creator.
Diaphragm: Another word for aperture. Can also be a type of shutter.
Diffuse Lighting: Lighting that is low or moderate in contrast, such as on an overcast day.
Digital: A system whereby information is represented by binary digits, or "bits." Binary information has two states, "0" and "1,"or "on" and "off," and can thus be easily processed by electronic systems. Analog information can be converted to and from digital information via devices called "Analog to Digital Converters" or "Digital to Analog Converters." Digital information does not suffer from the degradation and noise problems prevalent in analog circuits.
| Digital camera: A camera that captures the photo not on film, but in an electronic imaging sensor that takes the place of film. |  |
Digital Zoom: Unlike an optical zoom, the digital zoom takes the central portion of the high-resolution sensor's image to achieve the effect of a zoom. This means that the existing data is not enhanced or added to, merely displayed at a lower resolution, thereby giving an illusion of an enlarged image. All PowerShot cameras utilize the superior optical zoom, which actually augments the data collected by the sensor, rather than merely creating the illusion that the image has been enlarged.
DIN: (Deutsche Industrie Norm - German Industry Standard) film speeds were first standardized in 1931 following work by Agfa scientists. These original DIN speeds were based on the exposure needed to produce a density of 0.1 above base fog, which represents the lowest photographically useful exposure. When first introduced the DIN system was based on extended development, but was soon modified to reflect typical film development.
Dodging:
Holding back the image-forming light from a part of the image projected on an
enlarger easel during part of the basic exposure time to make that area of the
print lighter. (Also see Burning)
| |
A
better Dodge and Burn Instead of using the Dodge and Burn Tools inside of Photoshop (which by the way are very damaging), simply create a new layer and chenge its Mode from Normal to Soft Light. By painting with White you dodge, and with Black you burn. You can also see step-by-step instructions for this on the Articles page, under the article: Make any photo of a person, better! |
Double Exposure:
Two pictures taken on one frame of film, or two images printed on one piece
of photographic paper. Some cameras can have double exposure level depressed
with multiple exposures one even with a motor drive.
DPI (Dots Per Inch): A measurement of resolution used for scanning and printing. Generally, more dots per inch mean a higher resolution, a greater amount of visible detail in the image, and a larger file size. Expresses the number of dots a printer can print per inch, or monitor can display, both horizontally and vertically. A 600-dpi printer can print 360,000 (600 x 600) dots on one square inch of paper.
DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory): A particular type of RAM that requires constant attention from the computer in order to retain data in storage.
Dynamic range: the color depth, total number of possible pixel values, total number of possible colors or shades of gray, or the range of values from the lightest to the darkest that a digital device can input or output. All of these definitions mean exactly the same thing. 8-bit pixels can represent as many as 256 colors from the whitest white to the blackest black; thus 8-bit pixels have a 256-value dynamic range.
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Electronic flash: Light source based on electrical discharge across two electrodes in a gas-filled tube. Usually designed to provide light approximating to daylight. It is often regarded as artificial light source in the dark. Electronic flash requires a high voltage, usually obtained from batteries through a voltage-multiplying circuit. It discharges a brief, intense burst of light, usually used where the lighting on the scene is inadequate for picture-taking. They are generally considered to have the same photographic effect as daylight. Most flash will correct the color temperature back to 5000 kelvin - the daylight color. You can play around with filters mounting on the flash head for some specific effects or alter the color if necessary. Modern flash has multiple TTL flash exposure control functions and even extend to auto focus control. Some specialized flash are high speed repeating flash which can use for stroboscopic effect, UV-flash for ultra violet light photography etc.
Emulsion: Micro-thin layers of gelatin on film in which light-sensitive ingredients are suspended; triggered by light to create a chemical reaction resulting in a photographic image. Basically, suspension of light-sensitive silver salts in gelatin.
Enlargement: A print that is larger than the negative or slide.
Enlarger: A device consisting of a light source, a negative holder, and a lens, and means of adjusting these to project an enlarged image from a negative onto a sheet of photographic paper.
| Existing Light: Available light. Strictly speaking, existing light covers all natural lighting from moonlight to sunshine. For photographic purposes, existing light is the light that is already on the scene or project and includes room lamps, fluorescent lamps, spotlights, neon signs, candles, daylight through windows, outdoor scenes at twilight or in moonlight, and scenes artificially illuminated after dark. |  |
Export: The act of sending a file out through a specialized mini-application or plug-in so as to print or compress it. The term is also used to describe the action of saving the data to a specialized file format, i.e. JPEG, or GIF.
Exposure: Exposure explains how light acts on a photographic material. The lens opening controls light intensity, while the duration is controlled by the shutter speed. A camera with auto exposure can automatically control the exposure. The same principle works with digital cameras where film is replaced by the CCD.
Exposure bracketing: Shooting the same subject at a range of different exposures. Some camera provides Auto Exposure Bracketing/Flash Exposure Bracketing.
Exposure compensation:Exposure compensation for available light is activated by changing the shutter speed and/or lens aperture. This is done by using AE L AF-L (Auto Exposure/Auto Focus Lock) button or exposure compensation button, or by Auto Exposure Bracketing. In flash photography with a dedicated TTL Speedliqht exposure compensation can also be performed by varying the amount of flash output. Camera-originated exposure compensation affects both the foreground subject and the background; variations in flash output amount affect only the foreground.
Exposure factor: A figure by which the exposure indicated for an average subject and/or processing should be multiplied to allow for non-average conditions. Usually applied to filters. Occasionally to lighting. Processing, etc Not normally used with through-the-lens exposure meters.
Exposure Latitude: The range of camera exposures from underexposure to overexposure that will produce acceptable pictures from a specific film.
Exposure Meter: An instrument with a light-sensitive cell that measures the light reflected from or falling on a subject, used as an aid for selecting the exposure setting. The same as a light meter.
Extension tubes: Metal tubes used to obtain the additional separation between lens and film for close-up photography. They are fitted with screw thread or bayonet mounts to suit various lens mounts.
External flash: A supplementary flash unit that connects to the camera with a cable, or is triggered by the light from the camera’s internal flash. Many fun and creative effects can be created with external flash.
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f/Number: A number that indicates the size of the lens opening on an adjustable camera. The common f-numbers are f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, and f/22. The larger the f-number, the smaller the lens opening. In this series, f/1.4 is the largest lens opening and f/22 is the smallest. Also called f-stops, they work in conjunction with shutter speeds to indicate exposure settings. Also can be explained as numerical expression of the relative aperture of a lens at its different stops; equal to the focal length divided by the effective aperture of the lens opening and written in various forms, such as f/8, f8, 1: 8, etc.; each f-number is 1.4 times larger than the preceding one; each number indicates a halving or doubling of the amount of light allowed to pass through the lens; the next higher numbered f-number signifies an aperture which lets in exactly one half as much light, and the next lower number, twice as much light, i.e., f/11 lets in half as much light as f/8, while f/5.6 lets in twice as much; all lenses stopped down to the same f-number produce images of equal illumination (apart from differences due to varying reflection losses); therefore, for a given shutter speed, a given f/number always corresponds to the same exposure.
f/stop: The number assigned to a particular lens aperture (or opening) size. A fraction which indicates the actual diameter of the aperture: the "f" represents the lens focal length, the slash means "divided by," and the word "stop" is a particular f-number; for example, with a 50mm f/1.4 lens, the actual diameter of its maximum aperture is 50mm divided by 1.4 or 35.7mm; at f/2, the diameter becomes 50mm/2 or 25mm; at f/2.8, the aperture is 50mm/2.8 or 17.9mm across; as the numerical value of the f/stop increases, the aperture decreases in size.
File format: The way an image is saved to a digital camera's memory. The JPEG format that PowerShot cameras store digital images as is an industry standard.
Fill-flash: A method of flash photography that combines flash illumination and ambient light, but does not attempt to balance these two types of illumination. Also see "balance fill flash".
Fill-In Light: Additional light from a lamp, flash, or reflector; used to soften or fill in the shadows or dark picture areas caused by the brighter main light. Called fill-in flash when electronic flash is used. Also see Balanced Fill-Flash.
Film: A piece of plastic with a light sensitive mixture spread on it.
Film processing: The process where chemicals remove the unexposed silver on the film, then fix or stop the developing process and stop the negative's sensitivity to light. Now with PowerShot digital cameras, you are freed from the expense of film buying and processing.
Film speed: The film's sensitivity to light. For example, an ISO 100 film requires twice as much light as an ISO 200 film.
Filter: A colored piece of glass or other transparent material used over the lens to emphasize, eliminate, or change the color or density (ND) of the entire scene or certain areas within a scene. Also see "color temperature", "UV". Technically, it explained as a piece of material which restricts the transmission of radiation. Generally colored to absorb light of certain colors. Can be used over light sources or over the camera lens. Camera lens filters are usually glass either dyed or sandwiching a piece of gelatin in a screw-in filter holder.
Finder: Also known as viewfinder and projected frame. A viewing device on a camera to show the subject area that will be recorded on the film.
Fisheye lens: Ultra-wide angle lens giving 180 angle of view. Basically produces a circular image on 35 mm, 5-9 mm lenses showing whole image, 15-17 mm lenses giving a rectangular image fitting just inside the circle, thus representing 180 across the diagonal.
Fixed-Focus: Describes a non-adjustable camera lens, set for a fixed subject distance.
Fixed-Focus Lens: A lens that has been focused in a fixed position by the manufacturer. The user does not have to adjust the focus of this lens, applies on most entry or disposable cameras.
Fixing Bath: Darkroom material. A solution that removes any light-sensitive silver-halide crystals not acted upon by light or developer, leaving a black-and-white negative or print unalterable by further action of light. Also referred to as hypo.
Fixer: Solution, usually based on sodium thiosulphate, in which films or prints are immersed after development to convert the unexposed silver halides in the emulsion to soluble products that can be washed out. This prevents subsequent deterioration of the image.
Flash: An electronic device that produces a burst of light the consumer can use to produce more exposure on the film.
Flash Exposure Bracketing: Enables a photographer to automatically bracket exposures at varied flash output levels, in TTL auto flash shooting, without changing the shutter speed and/or aperture, this is a one of the top flash feature that can only be found on some higher ranked cameras.
Flash memory: One type of memory used in storage cards (see CompactFlash, Memory Stick, SmartMedia as examples).
Flash synchronization: Timing of the flash coincides with release of the camera's shutter. There are two types of synchronization: Front-Curtain Sync, which fires the flash at the start of the exposure, and Rear-Curtain Sync, which fires the flash at the end of the exposure.
Flash sync speed: Exposure time with a focal-plane shutter is measured from the instant the first curtain is released, to begin its travel across the frame, until the instant the second curtain is released, to begin its travel across the frame. When the first curtain reaches the end of its travel, the film frame is uncovered as far as the first curtain is concerned, so it closes the electrical contacts for X sync and fires the flash instantly. Shutter speed at which the entire film frame is exposed when the flash is fired in flash shooting. Most modern camera with vertical travel shutter curtain have faster flash sync speed like 1/250 sec. or slower, some top camera model like Nikon F5, changeable to 1/300 sec. with the Custom Setting.
Flash output level compensation: A control used to adjust a TTL auto flash operation, enabling an increase or decrease of flash output to lighten or darken the flash effect.
Flash shooting distance range: The distance range over which a flash can effectively provide light. Flash shooting distance range is controlled by the amount of flash output available. Each automatic Speedlight's flash output varies from maximum duration to minimum duration. Close-up subjects will require lower (to minimum) output while more distant subjects will require more light up to the maximum output. The flash shooting distance range varies with the aperture, film speed, etc.
Flat Lighting: Lighting that produces very little contrast or modeling on the subject plus a minimum of shadows.
Focal Length: The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimeters on the lens mount. The distance from the principal point to the focal point. In 35mm-format cameras, lenses with a focal length of approximately 50mm are called normal or standard lenses. Lenses with a focal length less than approximately 35mm are called wide angle lenses, and lenses with a focal length more than approximately 85mm are called telephoto lenses. Lenses which allow the user to continuously vary the focal length without changing focus are called zoom lenses .
Focus: To adjust the distance between the lens and an image to make the image as sharp as possible.
Frames per second (fps): Used to describe how many frames can the motor drive or winder can handle automatically on winding per second consequently. Also apply to areas like video, animations, movie cameras.
Full aperture metering: TTL metering systems in which the camera simulates the effect of stopping down the lens when the aperture ring is turned, while leaving the diaphragm at full aperture to give full focusing screen brilliance. The meter must be "programmed" with the actual full aperture, and the diaphragm ring setting.
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Ghost images: Bright spots of light, often taking the shape of the aperture, which appear in the camera viewfinder or in the final photograph when a lens is pointed at a bright light like the sun; controllable through the use of multi-layer coating of the lens elements.
GIF: Graphic InterFace (also known as GIF89a) designed by CompuServe for using images on line. This is a 256 color or 8-bit image.
Grain: Minute metallic silver deposit, forming in quantity the photographic image. The individual grain is never visible, even in an enlargement, but the random nature of their distribution in the emulsion causes over-lapping, or clumping, which can lead to graininess in the final image. Also cross check with below for graininess.
Graininess: The sand-like or granular appearance of a negative, print, or slide. Graininess becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of enlargement.
Grayscale: A photo made up of varying tones of black and white. Grayscale is synonymous with black and white.
Grey card (18% Grey Card): Tone used as representative of mid-tone of average subject. The standard grey card reflects 18 per cent of the light falling on it.
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High Contrast: A wide range of density in a print or negative.
Highlights: Small, very bright part of image or object. Highlights should generally be pure white, although the term is sometimes used to describe the lightest tones of a picture, which, in that case, may need to contain some detail.
Hot Shoe: Usually rest around the pentaprism of the camera (but some were designed around the film rewind knob). It has an electrical contact which mated with a contact in the mounting foot of the flash unit. This allows the camera to fire the flash at the proper time without any other electrical connections between flash and camera.The fitting on a camera that holds a small portable flash. It has an electrical contact that aligns with the contact on the flash unit's "foot" and fires the flash when you press the shutter release. This direct flash-to-camera contact eliminates the need for a PC cord. Some referred it as accessory shoe. Modern flash demand more than just the main electrical contact and often has more dedicated functions such as TTL control, viewfinder ready light etc.and thus, you will find more secondary contacts other than the main.
Handle Mount flash: Also often referred as bracket flash. It comprised of one arm of the L-shaped bracket extends under the camera body and uses the camera's tripod socket to mount the camera on the bracket. The vertical arm of the bracket serves as a handle and mounts a flash unit in an accessory shoe often on top of the handle portion, but there are other methods. Flash mounted in a bracket usually requires a separate electrical cord to make the electrical connection between camera body and flash unit.
Hyper Focal Distance: Distance of the nearest object in a scene that is acceptably sharp when the lens is focused on infinity.
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Infinity: Infinite distance. In practice, a distance so great that any object at that distance will be reproduced sharply if the lens is set at its infinity position, i.e. one focal length from the film.
Inkjet: A printer that places ink on the paper by spraying droplets through tiny nozzles.
Interchangeable lens: Lens designed to be readily attached to and detached from a camera.
Inverted telephoto lens: Lens constructed so that the back focus (distance from rear of lens to film) is greater than the focal length of the lens. This construction allows room for mirror movement when short focus lenses are fitted to SLR cameras.
Iris: Device consisting of thin overlapping metal leaves pivoting outwards to form a circular opening of variable size to control light transmission through a lens.
ISO Speed: The international standard for representing film sensitivity. The emulsion speed (sensitivity) of the film as determined by the standards of the International Standards Organization. In these standards, both arithmetic (ASA) and logarithmic (DIN) speed values are expressed in a single ISO term. For example, a film with a speed of ISO 100/21° would have a speed of ASA 100 or 21 DIN. The higher the number, the greater the sensitivity, and vice versa. A film speed of ISO 200 is twice as sensitive as ISO 100, and half that of ISO 400 film.
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Jaggies: a.k.a. pixelization. Term for the stair-stepped appearance of a curved or angled line in digital imaging. The smaller the pixels and the greater their number, the less apparent the "jaggies".
JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group, (*.jpg). The de facto standard for image compression in digital imaging devices. JPEG is a lossy compression technique, capable of reducing digital images files to about 5% of their normal size. This is one of the reasons you can get as many images into your PowerShot digital camera as you can. The results in decompression of the files can cause "blockiness," the "jaggies," or "pixelization" in certain digital images. The greater the compression level the more pixelization or "blockiness" that will occur. The greater the pixel count, the less pixelization that may occur.
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Kilobyte: 1,024 bytes, written KB, used to refer to size of files, which relates to the amount of information in a file.
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LCD: Liquid crystal display. The flat screen on many digital cameras that preview photographs that have already been taken. LCDs utilize two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them. An electric current passed through the liquid causes the crystals to align so that light cannot pass through them. Each crystal, therefore, is like a shutter, either allowing light to pass through or blocking the light.
LED: Light Emitting Diode. Light producing transistors used to display dots, numeric and text in the viewfinder, slowly replacing by LCD display.
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Lens: One or more pieces of glass, specially shaped, arranged to bring together rays of light so they can be recorded on film or paper. |
Lens aberration: Optical flaws which are present in small amounts in all photographic lenses; made up of chromatic aberration, spherical aberration, curvature of field, distortion, etc.; a perfect lens would show the image of a point as a point and a straight line as a straight line, but in practice, lenses are never perfect: they reproduce a point as a patch and a straight line as a more or less curved band; most of the trouble is caused by aberrations, inherent in the lens construction; it's the job of the lens designer to control most of the aberrations as much as possible by combining a number of single lenses in such a way that the aberrations of one lens tend to be cancelled out by opposing aberrations in the others.
Lens Factor: Usually refers to one of the differences between digital and film SLR cameras. The capture area (CCD) on several digital SLR cameras has a smaller surface area than film; so what this means is that if you took the same camera, (one digital, one film), and used the exact same lens, your resulting capture area would be different. Each digital camera has a different lens factor, but on the average, most are multiplied by 1.5X. Example: The Canon 10D has a lens factor of 1.6. If I use a 28mm lens, I would multiply 28 X 1.6 which gives me a 45mm lens on my Canon 10D.
Lens Shade: A collar or hood at the front of a lens that keeps unwanted light from striking the lens and causing image flare. May be attached or detachable, and should be sized to the particular lens to avoid vignetting.
Lens-Shutter Camera: A camera with the shutter built into the lens; the viewfinder and picture-taking lens are separate.
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. Determined by the maximum aperture of the lens in relation to its focal length; the "speed" of a lens is relative: a 400 mm lens with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 is considered extremely fast, while a 28mm f/3.5 lens is thought to be relatively slow.
Light meter: (See Exposure meter)
Lighting ratio: The ratio of the brightness of light falling on the subject from the main (key) light and other (fill) lights. A ratio of about 3:1 is normal for color photography, greater ratios may be used for effect in black-and-white work.
Long-focus: Lens of relatively long focal length designed to provide a narrower angle of view than the normal or standard lens, which generally has an angle of view, expressed on the diagonal of the film format, of about 45 degrees The long focus lens thus takes in less of the view in front of it but on an enlarged scale.
Lossy: Data compression techniques that reduce some detail of a digital image are described as being "lossy." Most video compression techniques utilize lossy compression.
Lux: A measurement of the light intensity. One Lux in video means light level of a candle light.
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Macro lens: A lens that allows users to take close-up photographs.
Macro photography: The process of taking photographs of small objects with regular photographic lenses at reproduction ratios of 1X or greater; also referred to as "photomacrography".
Magenta: A subtractive primary color for printing. It is made up of equal parts of red and blue projected light.
Magnification ratio: Ratio that express greatest possible on film magnifying power of the lens. Used commonly on the macro setting of the zoom lenses, macro lens or with bellows.
Manual flash: Flash output is controlled manually in manual flash mode unlike in auto flash mode, where flash output power varies automatically according to the selected aperture. Some Speedlights, example like the Nikon SB 27, SB 26, SB-25. SB-24 and SB 20, provide selectable manual outputs (full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 etc.), while others provide full manual output only.
Manual iris: Diaphragm controlled directly by a calibrated ring on the lens barrel.
Matrix Metering system: An exposure metering system using a multi-segment sensor and computer. Available in some Nikon SLRs.With the classic techniques of evaluating for 18% reflectance, factors such as brightness and contrast are primarily used to determine exposure. In addition, it is essential to evaluate each scene's esthetic factors such as color to get the best exposure.
Maximum aperture: The widest aperture which the diaphragm is capable of opening up to; it is engraved on the lens in this manner; 1: 1.4.
Megabyte: 1024 Kilobytes, written MB, used to refer to the size of files or media such as hard drives. Refers to the amount of information in a file or how much information can be contained on a hard drive or disk.
Megapixel: 1,000,000 pixels. See also Pixel.
Memory: The camera's storage medium. Flash memory is a safe, highly reliable form of storage that doesn't need power to hold the images after they are saved. It won't erase the images unless the user chooses to do so.
| Memory Stick: A memory card slightly smaller than a single stick of chewing gum. Like CompactFlash and SmartMedia, it is flash-based storage for your photos. |  |
MHz (Megahertz): A unit of measure for frequency that relates to the processing speed of a computer. Equal to one million hertz.
Microdrive: Developed by IBM, microdrives are extremely small hard disks that can fit in a Compact Card memory slot. Two drive capacities will be available 170 MB and 340MB, enabling digital cameras designed to use CompactFlash memory cards to enjoy even larger storage capabilities. All PowerShot digital cameras utilize the CompactFlash image storage format.
Moiré
Pattern: A visual defect that occurs in half-tone printing when the
dots of the different separations used to create the half-tone image are at
the wrong angles. There appears to be small thin lines in a pattern throughout
your image.
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Correcting
moiré in scans Is moiré a problem in your scans? Check your scanners dialog and look for an option called Descreening or Moiré Removal. In some scan dialogs, you'll need to choose the option Color (Document) rather than the Color (Photo). |
Motor Drive: A mechanism for advancing the film to the next frame and re-cocking the shutter, activated by an electric motor usually powered by batteries. Popular for action-sequence photography and for recording images by remote control.
MPEG (Motion Pictures Expert Group): A motion picture compression system.
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Negative: A reverse image in which shadows and dark areas of the photograph appear light, and in which light areas appear dark.
Negative Holder: A device designed to hold the negative in proper position in an enlarger.
Noise: Unwanted electrical signals that produce spots on the image.
Non-lossy: a.k.a. lossless. Term that refers to data compression techniques that do not remove image data details in order to achieve compression. This method is generally less effective than lossy methods in terms of resulting file size, but retains the entire original image. See also lossy.
Normal Lens: A lens that makes the image in a photograph appear in perspective similar to that of the original scene (approximately 45°). A normal lens has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view than a telephoto lens, and a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a wide-angle lens. Normal lenses corresponding to that portion of human vision in which we can discern sharp detail; technically defined as a lens whose focal length is approximately equal to the diagonal of the film frame; in 35mm photography, the diagonal measures 43mm, but in practice, lenses with focal lengths from 50mm to 60mm are considered normal.
NTSC (National Television Standards Committee): Standards for video broadcasting and recording in the US and Japan. PAL's the standard in Great Britain and the commonwealth countries. SECAM used in many countries in the European communities.
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Optical Zoom: An optical zoom is made to bring you closer to your subject, without you having to move. Zooms are constructed to allow a continuously variable focal length, without disturbing focus. To achieve this, the optical zoom uses a combination of lenses that magnify the image prior to being registered at high resolution by the sensor. While the digital zoom only changes the presentation of existing data, with the optical zoom the data collected by the sensor is actually augmented.
Ortho (Orthochromatic): Denotes film sensitive to blue and green light.
Overexposure: Expression used to indicate that the light sensitive material has been excessively exposed. This can be the result of light that is either too bright, or has been allowed to act for too long. In digital imaging, over-exposure is also referred to as blooming.
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PAL: Phase Alternation Line. System for minimizing hue errors in color transmission used in the EU.
Pan Format: "Pan" format - one of the three selectable Advanced Photo System print formats; a 1:3 aspect ratio that produces prints of 3.5 x 10.5 inches or up to 4.5 x 11.5 inches; suitable for panoramic shots and tall or wide subjects.
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. The eventual effect creates a strong sense of movement.
Panorama: A broad view, usually scenic.
Parallax: With a lens-shutter camera, parallax is the difference between what the viewfinder sees and what the camera records, especially at close distances. This is caused by the separation between the viewfinder and the picture-taking lens. There is no parallax with single-lens-reflex cameras because when you look through the viewfinder, you are viewing the subject through the picture-taking lens.
PCMCIA Card: Personal Computer Memory Card International Association card. PCMCIA cards are about the size of a credit card and these PC Cards have been developed to be a standard for hardware capability expanding devices. Cards used in digital cameras offer removable storage and an easy way to transfer photos from the camera to a notebook or desktop PC.
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Pen & Tablet: An input device for you computer (Macintosh or Windows PC), which allows more control and ease of use in controlling your computer. In quite a wide number of applications, this amazing tool also allows pressure control with various tools. |
Perspective: The rendition of apparent space in a flat photograph, i.e., how far the foreground and background appear to be separated from each other; determined by only one factor: the camera-to-subject distance; if objects appear in their normal size relations, the perspective is considered "normal"; if the foreground objects are much larger than the ones in the background, the perspective is considered "exaggerated"; when there is little difference in size between foreground and background, we say the perspective looks "compressed."
Photomicrography: The process of taking photographs of minute objects using a camera and a microscope; not to be confused with "microphotography," the process of making minute photographs of large objects.
PICT: The PICT format was originally developed by Apple Computer in the mid-1980s. The PICT format supports RGB files with a single alpha channel, and indexed-color, grayscale, and Bitmap files without alpha channels. The PICT format is especially effective at compressing images with large areas of solid color.
Pixel: Short for picture element, Pixels are the tiny dots of information that make up a digital image. The more pixels there are on the camera's image sensor (CCD or CMOS), the higher the image resolution will be. The higher the resolution, the clearer an enlarged print can be.
Pixelization: The step-like appearance of a curved or angled line in digital imaging. The smaller the pixels, and the greater their number, the less apparent the "pixelization" of the image. Also known as the "jaggies."
PNG (Portable Network Graphics): Developed as a patent-free alternative to GIF, this format is used for lossless compression for the purposes of displaying images on the World Wide Web. Adopted by the WWW consortium as a replacement for GIF, some older versions of Web browsers may not support PNG images.
Polarizing Screen (Filter): A filter that transmits light traveling in one plane while absorbing light traveling in other planes. When placed on a camera lens or on light sources, it can eliminate undesirable reflections from a subject such as water, glass, or other objects with shiny surfaces. This filter also darkens blue sky.
Polarized light: Light waves vibrating in one plane only as opposed to the multi-directional vibrations of normal rays. Natural effect produced by some reflecting surfaces, such as glass, water, polished wood, etc., but can also be simulated by placing a special screen in front of the light source. The transmission of polarized light is restrained by using a screen at an angle to the plane of polarization.
PostScript: A trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc., which describes a device-independent page description language used to describe text, object-oriented graphics, and bitmapped, grayscale and color images, and to transfer data from a computing device to a display device, such as a printer. Using this language, the same page can be printed on output devices of different resolutions and color capabilities.
PPI: Printing term for Pixels Per Inch. The higher the PPI, the higher quality print that can be produced.
| Pressure Support or Pressure Control: Tools within applications from software companies that support Wacom's pressure sentive Pens and Tablets. These tools usually allow you to do things that can not be done with a mouse, like controlling and varying the actual size of a brush, or controlling opacity levels, as you apply pressure to the tablet with the pen. There are over 150 different applications which support Wacom's pressure sensitive tools. |  |
Print: A positive picture, usually on paper, and usually produced from a negative.
Printing Frame: A device used for contact printing that holds a negative against the photographic paper. The paper is exposed by light from an external light source.
Processing: Developing, fixing, and washing exposed photographic film or paper to produce either a negative image or a positive image.
Program Exposure: An exposure mode on an automatic or auto focus camera that automatically sets both the aperture and the shutter speed for proper exposure.
Programmed Auto: Camera sets both shutter speed and aperture for correct exposure.
Push Processing: Increasing the development time of a film to increase its effective speed (raising the ISO number for initial exposure ) for low-light situations; forced development.
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RAM: Random Access Memory, . A type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly. This is the fastest type of memory for the computer and the most expensive. There are several types of RAM.
Range finder camera: A camera that uses a system of prisms and mirrors to bring an image into focus, even though the viewfinder (unlike an SLR) is separate from the lens. Also sometimes known as a lens-shutter or "point and shoot" camera.
RAW: The RAW image format is the data as it comes directly off the CCD, with no in-camera processing is performed.
Reciprocity: Most films are designed to be exposed within a certain range of exposure times-usually between 1/15 second to 1/1000 second. When exposure times fall outside of this range-becoming either significantly longer or shorter-a film's characteristics may change. Loss of effective film speed, contrast changes, and (with color films) color shifts are the three common results. These changes are called reciprocity effect. Generally, as a quick reference, exposure beyond one second needs to compensate for this characteristic of film.
Red-eye: Red-eye is the term used to describe the effect that can occur in photographs where the pupils of the eyes can take on a red color. The red color appears when the pupil of the eye is dilated, usually in a low light environment when the light of the flash strikes the retina at the back of the eye, reflecting the light through the wide-open pupil. (Also see Red-eye Reduction)
Red-eye
Reduction: A system that causes the pupils of a subject to shrink by shining
a light prior to the taking of the flash picture. This
prevents the red-eye effect.
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Removing
Red Eye with the Color Replace Tool Although this doesn't sound like a standard use for the Color Replacement tool, it works amazingly well for removing red eye from photos. Just press the letter "d" (default colors) to set your Foreground color to black, grab the Color Replacement tool (it's under the healing brush in the toolbox), click on the red area in one of the eyes, and then just paint it away (the brush will snap to the red color, which makes the repair a breeze). If this sounds like a weird use for the Color Replacement tool, it's not as weird as you think - just move your cursor over the tool's icon in the Toolbox, and you'll see the eye next to the icon turns red. Coincidence? I think not. |
Reflector:
Any device used to reflect light onto a subject to improve balance of exposure
(contrast). Another way is to use fill in flash.
Relative aperture: Numerical expression of effective aperture, also known as f-number. Obtained by dividing focal length by diameter of effective aperture.
Reproduction ratio: Term used in macrophotography to indicate the magnification of a subject; specifically the size of the image recorded on film divided by the actual size of the subject; for example, if the image on film is the same size as the subject, the reproduction ratio is written as 1:1 or 1X
Resolution: Refers to the number of pixels, both horizontally and vertically, used to either capture an image or display it. The higher the resolution the finer the image detail that can be seen. Also, the ability of a lens to discern small detail; in photography, the image resolution in the final photograph depends on the resolving power of the sensitive emulsion and on that of the lens, the two are not related, but the effective resolution is a function of both; for reasonably accurate photographic measurements of lens resolution, the sensitive material must therefore have a much greater resolving power than the lens.
Retouching: Altering a print or negative after development by use of dyes or pencils to alter tones of highlights, shadows, and other details, or to remove blemishes.
Retro Focus Design: In a retro focus design, which is advantageously applied to wide angle lenses, the back focus is designed longer than the lens' focal length to allow clearance for the movement of the reflex-mirror (No Mirror Lock up or separate viewing accessory attachment is required). It consists of front diverging and rear converging lens groups, as opposed to the telephoto design, and is therefore also called the inverted telephoto design.
RGB:
Red green blue. Computers and other digital devices handle color information
as shades of red, green and blue. A 24-bit digital
camera, for example, will have 8 bits per channel in red green and blue,
resulting in 256 shades of color per channel.
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RGB
Flesh Tones: Getting the "Red" Out If you're working in an RGB image and you've done your basic color correction but the flesh tone in your image still seems to red (a common problem), here's a tip to fix it fast. First, select the flesh tones area in your image (using the Lasso tool, etc.). Add a slight feather by going under the Select menu and choosing Feather. Enter a 1-pixel feather for low-res images; 3-5 pixels for high-res images. Go under the menu Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation. From the Edit pop-up menu, choose Reds. Now lower the Saturation slider until your skin tones look more natural, and click OK. |
RTS: Contax's
term for Real time system.
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Safelight: An enclosed darkroom lamp fitted with a filter to screen out light rays to which film and paper are sensitive. Light source consisting of housing, lamp and screen of a color that will not affect the photographic material in use. Safelight screens are available in various colors and sizes for specific applications.
Saturation: An attribute of perceived color, or the percentage of hue in a color. Saturated colors are called vivid, strong, or deep. Desaturated colors are called dull, weak, or washed out.
Scanner: an electronic input device that captures a digital image or objects into a computer.
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.
Selenium: Light-sensitive substance which, when used in a barrier-layer construction, generates electrical current when exposed to light. Used in exposure meters. Needs no external power supply.
Self-timer: Mechanism delaying the opening of the shutter for some seconds after the release has been operated. Also known as delayed action.
Sensitivity: Expression of the nature of a photographic emulsion's response to light. Can be concerned with degree of sensitivity as expressed by film speed or response to light of various colors (spectral sensitivity).
Sharpness: A term used to describe the ability of a lens to render fine detail clearly; dependent on the contrast and resolution of a lens and varies with the f/stop; in general, a lens is sharpest at the middle apertures. Also technically can be explained as clarity of the photographic image in terms of focus and contrast. Largely subjective but can be measured to some extent by assessing adjacency effects, i.e. the abruptness of the change in density between adjoining areas of different tone value.
Shutter: A mechanism in the camera that controls how much light reaches the film.
Shutter Priority: An exposure mode on an automatic or auto focus camera that lets you select the desired shutter speed; the camera sets the aperture for proper exposure. If you change the shutter speed, or the light level changes, the camera adjusts the aperture automatically.
Shutter speed: The length of time the shutter remains open when the shutter release is activated, expressed in fractions of seconds.
Side Lighting: Light striking the subject from the side relative to the position of the camera; produces shadows and highlights to create modeling on the subject.
Silicon: Light-sensitive substance which generates a minute current when exposed to light.
Single Servo AF (Nikon's term): Once the subject is in focus, focus is locked. Useful for recomposing the picture.
Single-Lens-Reflex (SLR): A user looking through the viewfinder on this type of camera actually looks through the picture-taking lens, thanks to a series of mirrors and prisms within the camera. This is a very improved type of viewfinder, because what you see is what is in the actual picture frame.
Slave Unit: Accessory flash"slave" units are available to fire multiple flash units without multiple electrical connections to the camera. These units sense the light output of the first flash, which is mounted in the camera hot shoe, or cord-connected to the camera. When the light output is sensed, the slave unit triggers a second flash unit that is connected only to the slave. Additional slaves and flash units can be used, if needed.
Slow Sync: A flash technique for using the flash at a slow shutter speed. Flash shooting in dim light or at night at a fast shutter speed often results in a flash-illuminated subject against a dark background. Using a slower shutter speed with the flash brings out the background details in the picture. Use of a slow shutter speed with Rear-Curtain Sync is particularly effective for illustrating the movement of a stream of light. Can be of very creative if put to good use.
Slide: A photographic transparency (positive) mounted for projection. Represent first generation production of a image. Most agencies and photo editors demands slides than prints. Having a very tight tolerance on exposure latitudes.
SmartMedia: a wafer-thin, matchbook size memory card. This is also a flash-memory based storage medium.
Soft Focus: Produced by use of a special lens that creates soft outlines. Filters are more popular than lens as it is more economical and flexible.
Soft Lighting: Lighting that is low or moderate in contrast, such as on an overcast day.
SPD (Silicon Photo Diode): Battery powered light sensitive cells - the most common light reading cells for cameras, external metering devices.
Software: Operating instructions for specific task based applications. The computer's processor carries out these instructions. Software has to be written for a specific computer Operating System (OS). Canon PowerShot digital cameras boast the most user-friendly, and advanced digital camera software bundles to date.
Spot metering: In this type of metering, a central spot of the frame is utilized to measure the light that is coming off the subject. The measuring spot is often indicated by the viewfinder of the camera. Used without care, this system can easily result in the metered area being well exposed while the rest of the frame is either under or over exposed.
Stabilizer: Alternative to fixer where permanence is not required. Used in automatic processing machines and can now provide prints that will not deteriorate noticeably over many months if kept away from strong light.
Stain: Discolored areas on film or paper, usually caused by contaminated developing solutions or by insufficient fixing, washing, or agitation.
Stop Bath: Darkroom material. 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. Some lenses, like PC lens or attachment with a none dedicated bellow on macro photography, stop down exposure metering is required for correct reading.
Stop-down metering: TTL metering in which the light is measured at the picture-taking aperture. As the meter just measures the light passing through the lens, there is no need for any lens-camera interconnections.
Studio lamps (3200K): Tungsten or tungsten halogen lamps designed for studio use. Have a longer life than photo lamps, but a lower specific output and color temperature. Are used with type B films.
Sync speed: Exposure time with a focal-plane shutter is measured from the instant the first curtain is released, to begin its travel across the frame, until the instant the second curtain is released, to begin its travel across the frame. When the first curtain reaches the end of its travel, the film frame is uncovered as far as the first curtain is concerned, so it closes the electrical contacts for X sync and fires the flash instantly. shutter speed at which the entire film frame is exposed when the flash s fired in flash shooting. Most modern camera with vertical travel shutter curtain have faster flash sync speed like 1/250 sec. or slower, some top camera model like Nikon F5, changeable to 1/300 sec. with the Custom Setting.
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Telephoto Lens: A lens that makes a subject appear larger on film than does a normal lens at the same camera-to-subject distance. A telephoto lens has a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a normal lens and have a shallower depth of field than wide angle lenses. But it can do isolation of subject and have a longer reach without going near to the subject. Life can be very difficult in sports and wildlife photography. Telephoto lens whose focal length is longer than the diagonal of the film frame; in 35mm photography, lenses longer than 50-58mm; also referred to as a "long" lens.
Thumbnail: A small version of a photo. Image browsers commonly display thumbnails of photos several or even dozens at a time.
TIFF: The Tagged-Image File Format (TIFF) is used to exchange files between applications and computer platforms. TIFF is a flexible Bitmap image format supported by virtually all paint, image-editing, and page-layout applications. Also, virtually all desktop scanners can produce TIFF images. This format of file uses the *.tif extension. The TIFF format supports CMYK, RGB, and grayscale files with alpha channels, and Lab, indexed-color, and Bitmap files without alpha channels. TIFF also supports LZW compression.
Time Exposure: A comparatively long exposure made in seconds or minutes.
Tint: Shades of white in a finished print, controlled by the color of the paper, varying from white to buff.
Titanium/Titan Camera Body: Titanium is one of the world's strongest, yet lightest materials; its specific weight is approximately half that of brass, yet its hardness is almost the same as that of steel, while its corrosion resistance is greater than that of stainless steel. However, titanium is a very difficult material to process.
TLR: Twin Lens Reflex camera that have separate viewing and actual exposure lens. Rollei still have one in production.
Tone: The
degree of lightness or darkness in any given area of a print;
also referred to as value. Cold tones (bluish) and warm tones (reddish) refer
to the color of the image in both black-and-white and color photographs.
Toning: Intensifying or changing the tone of a photographic
print after processing. Solutions called toners are used
to produce various shades of colors.
Transparency: Basically, slide film.
A positive photographic image on film, viewed or projected by transmitted light
(light shining through film).
Transparent magnetic layer: Information storage layer built
into Advanced Photo System film that enables enhanced information
exchange capabilities, improving print quality by capturing
lighting and scene information and other picture-taking data; basis for future
information exchange features.
Tripod: A three-legged supporting stand
used to hold the camera steady. Especially useful when using slow shutter
speeds and/or telephoto lenses. Another is the
unipod or monopod, single leg tripod.
TTL (Through-the-lens): Refers to a metering system that utilizes a light-sensitive mechanism within the camera body to measure exposure from image light passing through the lens. TTL viewfinders reveal exactly what the lens sees, avoiding parallax problems.
TTL 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.
TTL Metering: Meter built into the camera determines exposure
for the scene by reading light that passes through the lens during picture-taking.
Most SLR cameras have built-in meters which measure light
after it has passed through the lens, a feature that enables exposure readings
to be taken from the actual image about to be recorded on film,
whatever the lens angle of view and regardless of whether a filter
is used or not.
TTL Auto Flash: The camera's light sensor measures flash illumination, as reflected by the subject on the film and shuts off the flash where measurement indicates a correct exposure. Because the sensor that controls the flash receives light through the lens TTL auto flash can be used for bounce flash photography, fill flash, multiple flash photography, etc. An additional advantage of TTL auto flash is that it enables you to use a wide range of aperture settings, while ensuring correct exposure.
Tungsten Light: Light from regular room lamps and ceiling fixtures, not fluorescent. Images produced under this light source can be extremely warm, in fact excessive warmth. Need some color balance filtration or flash to neutralize that.
TWAIN: An acquire interface developed as a standard for communications between scanners, imaging devices, digital cameras and the computer software. TWAIN allows you to import (acquire) an image into your software. This is the generally the interface of choice on the Windows platform.
Type A film: Color film balanced for use with photo lamps (3400K).
Type B film: Color film balanced for use with studio lamps (3200K).
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Ultra-wide angle lens: Extra-wide angle lens, usually those with an angle of view greater than 90°. For 35 mm cameras the description usually applies to lenses of shorter focal length than about 24 mm.
Under-exposure: The result of too little exposure in the camera. In digital imaging, under-exposure can sometimes be corrected by the use of image editing software.
Unipod: Also refer as monopod. A one-legged support used to hold the camera steady. Also see "tripod".
USB, or Universal Serial Bus: A new external bus standard that supports data transfer rates of up to 12Mbps. USB is expected to completely replace serial and parallel ports. In addition, USB is particularly well suited for high-speed Plug-and-Play downloading of images from your digital camera straight to your PC.
UV: The ultra violet ray. This is beyond the visible spectrum i.e. it's invisible electromagnetic radiation of the sunlight. UV lenses is very expensive, only Nikon has a offering in its Nikkor lens line.
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Variable-Contrast Paper: Photographic paper that provides different grades of contrast when exposed through special filters.
Variable focus lens: Lens of which the focal length can be continuously varied between set limits. The lens must be refocused with each change in focal length.
Viewfinder: System used for composing and sometimes focusing the subject. There are several types: direct vision, optical, ground glass screen or reflex.
Vignetting: Underexposure of image corners produced deliberately by shading or unintentionally by inappropriate equipment, such as unsuitable lens hood or badly designed lens. A common fault of wide-angle lenses, owing to reflection cut-off, etc. of some of the very oblique rays. May be caused in some long-focus lenses by the length of the lens barrel.
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White Balance: The camera's ability to correct color and tint when shooting under different lighting conditions including daylight, indoor and fluorescent lighting.
Wide-Angle Lens: A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.Also can explained as a lens whose focal length is shorter than the diagonal of the film frame; in 35mm photography, lenses shorter than 50mm, such as 24mm or 28mm; also referred to as a "short" lens.
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Yellow: A subtractive primary color for color printing and printing. It is made up of equal parts of red and green projected light.
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Zoom Lens: A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range of focal lengths. Substituting lenses of many focal lengths. Zoom lenses whose focal length is continuously variable over a certain range without a change in focus; its focal length is changed by operating a separate zoom or a combination focusing/zoom ring; difficult type of lens to design and manufacture, very useful for the photographer on a budget or one who likes to travel light.
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