The Photography Reference glossary of photography is a comprehensive list of key terms and concepts used in photography. Our list ranges from technical aspects such as aperture, ISO, and white balance to artistic techniques including composition, depth of field, and the rule of thirds. This resource glossary serves as a valuable educational tool for all photographers of all levels by providing definitions and explanations of essential terms.
So whether you are a pro or upcoming photographer, you can reference our resource to clarify specific technical details or explore new techniques on your way to master the art of photography.
A
Aberration: Imperfections or distortions in the image caused by lens flaws, such as chromatic aberration or spherical aberration.
Advanced Photo System (APS): A now-defunct film format that allowed for three different aspect ratios in photography.
AE Lock: A camera function that locks the exposure for a specific area.
Aliasing: Jagged or pixelated edges in digital images caused by low resolution.
Ambient Light: The natural light available in a scene without additional lighting.
Ambient Light Meter: A device used to measure the natural or available light in a scene for exposure settings.
Angle of View: The extent of a scene captured by a lens.
Anti-Aliasing: A technique used to smooth out jagged edges in digital images.
Aperture: An opening in the lens through which light passes to enter the camera.
Aperture Priority (A or Av): A camera mode where the photographer selects the aperture, and the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed for proper exposure.
Artefact: Unwanted distortions or anomalies in a digital image.
ASA: A system used to measure film speed, replaced by ISO.
Aspect Mask: A mask used in a camera’s viewfinder to define a specific aspect ratio during composition.
Aspect Ratio: The proportional relationship between the width and height of an image.
Atomos: An Australian manufacturer of video recording and display equipment. Atomos specializes in producing 4K and HD Apple ProRes monitor recorders.
Auto Bracketing: A camera function that takes several shots at different exposures to create a series of images with varied lighting.
Auto Exposure (AE): A camera setting where the camera automatically determines the exposure based on the scene’s lighting conditions.
Auto ISO: A camera feature that automatically adjusts the ISO setting based on the lighting conditions.
Auto White Balance (AWB): A camera setting that adjusts color temperature automatically.
Autofocus (AF): A camera feature that automatically focuses on a subject.
Available Light: The natural or artificial light already present in a scene.
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B
Back Button Focus: A technique where the focus is controlled by a button on the back of the camera instead of the shutter button.
Backlighting: Light that comes from behind the subject.
Barrel Distortion: A lens effect that causes images to be spherically distorted, making straight lines appear curved.
Baryta Paper: A type of high-quality photographic paper coated with barium sulfate, used for fine art printing.
Bayer Filter: A color filter array used in most digital camera sensors to capture color information.
Bellows: A flexible, accordion-like tube used in some cameras to adjust focus by extending or retracting the lens.
Big Stopper: A type of neutral density filter that dramatically reduces light, allowing for very long exposures.
Bit Depth: The number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel.
Bitmap: A digital image composed of a grid of individual pixels, often used in raster graphics.
Blackmagic Design: Is an Australian digital cinema company and manufacturer of cinema and broadcast hardware and software including DaVinci resolve and Blackmagic Fusion.
Blemish Removal: A post-processing technique used to remove imperfections from a subject’s skin or an image.
Blown Highlights: Overexposed areas of an image where detail is completely lost due to excessive brightness.
Blown Out: When highlights in an image are overexposed, losing detail.
Blue Hour: The period of twilight just before sunrise or after sunset when the sky takes on a deep blue hue.
Bokeh: The aesthetic quality of the blur in out-of-focus areas of a photograph.
Bracketing: Taking several shots of the same subject using different settings.
Buffer: Temporary memory in a camera where images are stored before being written to a memory card.
Buffering: The temporary storage of image data in the camera before it is written to the memory card.
Bulb Mode: A camera setting where the shutter remains open as long as the shutter button is pressed.
Burning: A technique used to darken specific areas of a photo in post-processing.
Burst Mode: A camera setting that allows for continuous shooting of images by holding down the shutter.
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C
Camera Shake: The unintentional movement of the camera during exposure, causing blurred images.
Candid: A photograph taken without the subject being aware.
Canon: A leading camera and optics manufacturer known for producing high-quality cameras and lenses.
Catchlight: The reflection of light in a subject’s eyes.
Chromatic Aberration: A lens defect that causes color fringing around objects in an image.
Chrominance: The color information in a video or digital image, separate from luminance (brightness).
Clipping: Loss of image data when shadows or highlights are over- or underexposed.
CMOS: Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor. A type of image sensor used in digital cameras.
Color Cast: An unwanted tint of color in a photograph, often caused by improper white balance.
Color Space: A specific organization of colors in a digital image.
Compact Flash (CF): A type of memory card used in some digital cameras.
Compact System Camera (CSC): A type of camera that combines the flexibility of interchangeable lenses with the compact size of a point-and-shoot.
Composition: The arrangement of elements within a photograph.
Contact Sheet: A print containing multiple thumbnail-sized images, typically used for reviewing a series of shots.
Continuous Autofocus (AF-C): A focus mode where the camera continuously adjusts focus as the subject moves.
Continuous Shooting: A camera mode that allows for rapid, successive captures while the shutter button is held down.
Contrast: The difference between the lightest and darkest areas of an image.
Contrast Ratio: The ratio between the brightest and darkest areas of an image.
Crop Factor: A number that relates the size of a camera sensor to a 35mm film frame.
Curves: A post-processing tool that allows precise adjustments to the tonal range of an image.
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D
Dead Pixel: A pixel on a digital sensor that does not function properly, often appearing as a black or white dot in images.
Demosaicing: The process of reconstructing a full-color image from the incomplete color data captured by a camera sensor.
Depth Map: A digital representation of the distance between objects in a scene, used in 3D imaging or advanced post-processing.
Depth of Field (DoF): The distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in sharp focus.
Diaphragm: The mechanism inside a lens that controls the aperture size.
Diffraction: A phenomenon where light bends around the edges of an aperture, causing a loss of sharpness at very small apertures.
Diffuser: A material used to scatter light and reduce harsh shadows.
Digital Back: A digital sensor attachment used in medium format cameras to replace traditional film backs.
Digital Negative (DNG): An open RAW image format developed by Adobe to standardize RAW files across camera systems.
Digital Zoom: Zooming in on a photo digitally rather than optically, which can reduce image quality.
Diopter: An adjustment control for the camera viewfinder to accommodate vision differences.
Distortion: A lens effect where straight lines appear curved.
DJI: A Chinese technology company that specializes in the development and manufacturing of drones and aerial photography systems
D-Log: A video recording format used in high-end cameras to capture more dynamic range, useful in post-production grading.
Dodging: A post-processing technique used to lighten specific areas of a photograph.
Double Exposure: A technique that combines two exposures in a single frame.
Downsampling: Reducing the resolution of an image by reducing its pixel count.
DPI (Dots Per Inch): A measure of print resolution indicating the number of dots of ink per inch of a printed image.
Dust Spot: A mark on an image caused by dust on the camera sensor or lens.
Dynamic Composition: A method of composition that creates movement or tension within an image, often through diagonal lines or bold contrasts.
Dynamic Range: The range of brightness levels in an image, from the darkest to the brightest.
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