TABLE OF CONTENT

1.
2.
2.1
3.
3.1
3.1.1
3.1.2
3.1.3
3.1.4
3.2
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.2.4
4.
5.
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
16.1
16.1.1
16.1.2
16.1.3
16.1.4
16.1.5

PHOTOGRAPHY
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
WHY DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
CAMERAS
FILM CAMERAS
35 mm SLR
TLR
MEDIUM FORMAT 120mm
LARGE FORMAT 4x6
DIGITAL CAMERAS
Compact Cameras
Bridge Cameras
DSLR 35mm Cameras
Medium Format Cameras
CAMERA COMPONENTS
EXPOSURE
THE RIGHT EXPOSURE
ISO
SHUTTER
APERTURE
F-NUMBER
WHITE BALANCE
EXPOSURE COMPENSATION
THE FOUR FACTORS
HOLDING YOUR CAMERA
METERING
FOCUSING
DEPTH OF FIELD
COMPOSITION
DIGITAL SENSOR
DIGITAL MEDIA STORAGE
IMAGE RESOLUTION
FILE FORMATS
LENSES
FIXED AND VARIABLE
MACRO
WIDE ANGLE
FISH EYE
TELEPHOTO
SUPER TELEPHOTO

01
01
01
01
01
01
02
02
02
02
02
02
03
03
03
03
03
03
04
04
04
04
04
04
05
05
05
05
06
06
06
06
06
06
06
06
07
07
07
07

GLOSSARY

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1.

PHOTOGRAPHY

The word "photography" comes from the Greek word "photo" which means light and graph means "representation by
means of lines" or "drawing", together meaning "drawing with light."
Traditionally, the products of photography have been called negatives and photographs, commonly shortened to photos.
So, photography is the process, activity and art of creating still or moving pictures by recording light radiation on a sensitive
medium, such as a film, or an electronic sensor. Light patterns reflected or emitted from objects activate a sensitive chemical or
electronic sensor during a timed exposure, usually through a photographic lens in a device known as a camera that also stores
the resulting information chemically or electronically. Photography has many uses for business, science, art and pleasure.

2.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Digital photography is a form of photography that uses digital technology to make images of subjects. Until the advent of such
technology, photographers used photographic film to create images, which could be made visible by photographic processing. In
contrary, digital photographs can be displayed, printed, stored, manipulated, transmitted, and archived using digital and
computer techniques, without chemical processing.

2.1

WHY DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY?

See and improve pictures in a heartbeat

You can review pictures instantly with a digital camera, so you'll be taking better pictures than ever before. Somebody frowning?
Somebody clowning? Just take another picture.
E-mail and print photos instantly
Share digital pictures seconds after taking them. E-mail them anywhere; print them at home. Or place them in an online album,
so friends and family can view your pictures.
Perfect your pictures with "digital magic"
Was a picture too dark? Did someone have red eyes? That's okay. You can use picture-editing software to lighten pictures, get rid
of red eye, crop pictures, and make lots of other improvements after you take the picture.
Unleash your creativity
Fulfill those creative urges. Turn your digital pictures into photo greeting cards, high quality prints, CD album covers, photo Tshirts, online slide shows. You can do all this and moreonce your pictures are digital.
Enjoy pictures, enjoy life
Invigorating. Exciting. Delighting. Digital photography is all these things and more. Escape into a realm where you can do almost
anything you want with your pictures.

3.

CAMERA

A camera is a device that records images, either as a still photograph or as moving images known as videos or movies. The term
comes from the camera obscura (Latin for "dark chamber"), an early mechanism of projecting images where an entire room
functioned as a real-time imaging system; the modern camera evolved from the camera obscura.
Cameras may work with the light of the visible spectrum
or with other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. A
camera generally consists of an enclosed hollow with an
opening (aperture) at one end for light to enter, and a
recording or viewing surface for capturing the light at the
other end. A majority of cameras have a lens positioned in
front of the camera's opening to gather the incoming light
and focus all or part of the image on the recording surface.
The diameter of the aperture is often controlled by a
diaphragm mechanism, but some cameras have a fixedsize aperture.

3.1

FILM CAMERA

3.1.1 35 mm SLR
A single-lens reflex camera - SLR is a camera that uses a mechanical mirror
system and pentaprism to direct light from the lens to an optical viewfinder on
the back of the camera.

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For viewing purposes, the mirror reflects the light coming through the attached lens upwards at a 90-degree angle. It is then
reflected twice by the pentaprism, rectifying it for the photographer's eye. During exposure, the mirror assembly swings upward,
the shutter opens, allowing the lens to project light coming through the narrow aperture onto the light sensitive film or digital
sensor. A second shutter then covers the sensor, ending the exposure, and the mirror lowers while the shutter resets. The period
that the mirror is flipped up is referred to as "viewfinder blackout". A fast-acting mirror and shutter is preferred so as to not
delay an action photo. All of this happens automatically over a period of milliseconds.
Professional still photographers often prefer SLRs because they allow an accurate preview of framing close to the moment of
exposure, and because SLRs allow the user to choose from a variety of interchangeable lenses. Most SLRs also have a function
that allows accurate preview of depth of field.

3.1.2 TLR
A twin-lens reflex camera (TLR) is a type of camera with two objective lenses of
the same focal length. One of the lenses is the photographic objective (the lens
that takes the picture), while the other is used for the waist-level viewfinder
system. In addition to the objective, the viewfinder consists of a 45-degree
mirror, a matte focusing screen at the top of the camera, and a pop-up hood
surrounding it. The two objective lenses are connected, so that the focus shown
on the focusing screen will be exactly the same as on the film.
TLRs are different from single-lens reflex cameras (SLR) in several respects.
First, unlike virtually all SLRs, TLRs provide a continuous image on the finder
screen. The view does not black out during exposure.

3.1.3 MEDIUM FORMAT

Medium format has traditionally referred to a film format in still photography and the related
cameras and equipment that use this film. Generally, the term applies to film and cameras used to
produce images larger than the 35 mm film, but smaller than the 4 x 6 inch size, which is considered
to be large format.
The main benefit of medium format photography is that, because of the larger size of the film or
digital sensor (two to six times larger than 35 mm), images of much higher resolution can be
produced. This allows for bigger enlargements and smooth gradation without the grain or blur that
would characterize similarly enlarged images produced from smaller film formats.
Compared to 35 mm, the main drawbacks are accessibility and price. While 35-mm cameras, film,
and photo finishing services are generally widely available and cheap, medium format is usually
limited to professional photography shops and can be prohibitively expensive.

3.1.4 LARGE FORMAT 4 x 6 inches

Large format describes large photographic films, large cameras that use a film or digital sensor,
generally 4 x 6 inches or larger. The most common large formats are 4 x 6 and 8 x 10 inches. Less
common formats include 5 x 7 inches, 11 x 14 inches, 16 x 20 inches, 20 x 24 inches, various panoramic
or "banquet" formats (such as 4 x10 and 8 x 20 inches), as well as metric formats, including 9 x 12 cm,
10 x13 cm and 13 x 18 cm.
The Polaroid 20 x 24 inch instant camera is one of the largest format cameras currently in common
usage. Many well-known photographers have used the 235-pound (106 kg), wheeled-chassis Polaroid.

3.2

DIGITAL CAMERAS

3.2.1 COMPACT CAMERAS

Compact cameras are designed to be small and portable and are particularly suitable
for casual and "snapshot" use, thus are also called point-and-shoot camera. The
smallest, generally less than 20 mm thick are described as subcompacts or "ultracompacts". Compact cameras are usually designed to be easy to use, sacrificing
advanced features and picture quality for compactness and simplicity; images can
usually only be stored using lossy compression (JPEG). Most have a built-in flash
usually of low power, sufficient for nearby subjects. Live preview is almost always used
to frame the photo. They may have limited motion picture capability. Compacts often
have macro capability, but if they have zoom capability the range is usually less than
for bridge and DSLR cameras. They have a greater depth of field, allowing objects
within a large range of distances from the camera to be in sharp focus.

3.2.2 BRIDGE CAMERAS

Bridge or SLR-like cameras are higher-end digital cameras that physically resemble DSLRs
and share with them some advanced features, but share with compacts the framing of
the photo using live preview and small sensor sizes.

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Bridge cameras often have super-zoom lenses, which provide a very wide zoom range, which is attained at the cost of some
distortions to a degree, which varies with lens quality. These cameras are sometimes marketed as and confused with digital SLR
cameras since the appearance is similar. Bridge cameras lack the mirror and reflex system of DSLRs, have so far been fitted with
fixed (non-interchangeable) lenses (although in some cases wide-angle or telephoto converters can be attached to the lens), can
usually take movies with sound, and the scene is composed by viewing either the liquid crystal display (LCD) or the electronic
viewfinder (EVF). They are usually slower to operate than a true digital SLR, but they are capable of very good image quality (with
sufficient light) while being more compact and lighter than DSLRs. The high-end models of this type have comparable resolutions
to low and mid-range DSLRs. Many of these cameras can store images in lossless RAW format as an option to JPEG compression.
The majority has a built-in flash, often a unit that flips up over the lens.

3.2.3 DSLR
The term DSLR generally refers to cameras that resemble 35 mm format cameras, although
some digital medium format cameras are technically DSLRs.
Many professionals also prefer DSLRs for their larger sensors as compared to the sensors of
most of compact digital cameras. DSLRs have sensors, which are generally closer in size to
the traditional film formats that many current professionals started out using. These large
sensors allow similar depths of field and picture angle to film formats.
The disadvantages of DSLR cameras are the significantly higher costs, bigger size and weight,
and a small delay before the photo is taken because the mirror has to move out of the way
before a shot.

3.2.4 DIGITAL MEDIUM FORMAT

Digital photography came to the medium format world with the development of digital camera
backs, which can be fitted to many system cameras. Digital backs are a type of camera back that
have electronic sensors in them, effectively converting a camera into a digital camera. These backs
are used predominantly by professional photographers. As with film, due to the increased size of
the imaging chip (up to twice that of a 35 mm film frame, and thus as much as 40 times the size of
the chip in a typical pocket point-and-shoot camera) they deliver more pixels and have lower
noise.

4.

CAMERA COMPONENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

5.

LCD
Digital Sensor
Memory Card
Battery
Built-in Flash
Shutter
Aperture (Lens)

EXPOSURE

It is the quantity of light that your camera captures while taking a picture. The exposure is determined by the aperture size and
shutter speed. To obtain the best results with certain subjects it may be necessary to alter the exposure from the value
suggested by the camera.

5.1

THE RIGHT EXPOSURE

5.2

Everything in the picture that should be in focus is in focus (this is what it is all about for a beginning photographer).
Other parts of the photo may be in focus, but may also be out of focus to attract more attention to the part that is in
focus (this is what it is about for an intermediate and advanced photographer).
There is no unwanted motion blur.
There is no unwanted (digital) noise, due to limitations of the sensor of the camera.
The photo is not over exposed neither under exposed.

ISO

The higher the ISO-speed the more sensitive the sensor is for light. ISO-100 is not very sensitive (but high quality) and ISO-1600 is
very sensitive.
A big advantage of digital cameras in comparison with analogue cameras is that you dont have to change film rolls to change the

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ISO-speed. You can change it with each photo, so in fact you have an extra factor you can easily play with.

5.3

SHUTTER

Shutter is a device that allows light to pass for a determined period of time, for the purpose
of exposing photographic film or a light-sensitive electronic sensor to light to capture a
permanent image of a scene. Shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter allows light
onto the CCD. The shutter speed is measured in seconds (or fractions of a second for most
common pictures). The slower the shutter speed, the more motion is recorded by the
camera. A tripod might be needed to use slower shutter speeds without blurring the picture.

5.4

APERTURE

An aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. The aperture also
determines how many of the incoming rays are actually admitted and thus how much
light that reaches the image plane - the narrower the aperture, the darker the image
and vice versa.

5.5

F-NUMBER

The f-number or focal ratio of a lens is the diameter of the lens opening in terms
of the effective focal length of the lens. Common f-numbers are f1.4, f2, f2.8, f4,
f5.6, f8, f11, f16, and f22. The greater the f-number, the smaller the aperture
and the less light will pass the shutter.

5.6

WHITE BALANCE

Adjustment in digital cameras for the color to give as true as possible a white and correcting all the other colors.

5.7

EXPOSURE COMPENSATION

An exposure compensation button [+/-] is now found on most modern auto cameras. Positive compensation may be
needed when the main subject is darker than the background and negative compensation may be needed for a subject lighter
than the background.

6.

THE FOUR FACTORS

For the exposure, four correlating factors come into play, brightness of the scene, shutter speed,
aperture and ISO-speed. The right amount of light must be captured by the sensor of the
camera. Wrong combination of these factors would create over exposure (a too bright picture)
or under exposure (a too dark picture).
The amount of light captured by the sensor is a result of some basic mechanisms:
The higher the brightness of the scene, the more light reaches the sensor. Pretty logical. This
ranges from a photo at night without flash, to a sunny afternoon with loads of light.
A slower shutter speed means a longer time of exposing light to the sensor, so in total more light
reaches the sensor. An exposure time of only 1/3000th of a second lets the light through very
short, and 1/15th or for example 4 seconds is long.
The higher the ISO-speed the more sensitive the sensor is for light. ISO-100 is not very sensitive (but high quality) and ISO-1600 is
very sensitive.
A big advantage of digital cameras in comparison with analogue cameras is that you dont have to change film rolls to change the
ISO-speed.
A bigger Aperture means a wider opening in the lens, so more light reaches the sensor. Keep in mind that the larger the f-stop
number, the smaller the lens opening. An aperture of f/22 is very small opening for the light to get trough, an aperture of f/2.8 or
f/1.4 is very wide open.
These four factors are interrelated. If one is increased, too much light would be captured, so another must be decreased, and
vise versa.
A right combination of these factors has to be chosen at the moment a picture is taken. With digital SLRs you can set or prioritize
the factors. First you set the ISO-speed. If you choose aperture priority (or Av), you can set the aperture, and let the camera
compute the corresponding exposure time. If you choose exposure time priority, you choose the exposure time, and the
camera chooses the aperture.
With an automatic program setting you let the camera do the judgment, and let the camera evaluate what it thinks it is the best
exposure time, aperture and ISO-speed given the lighting conditions. And the camera can even change the lighting conditions

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by using the flash.

To shorten the exposure time, you could increase the ISO-speed of your camera. But that also increases the noise, perhaps up to
unacceptable levels. So here are boundaries. A camera that is capable of capturing at high ISO-speeds with little noise is a clear
advantage. So a good way is to start with an ISO-level where the noise is minimal or at least acceptable.
A longer exposure time brings a smaller aperture and a longer depth of field meaning more things will appear sharp on the
photo, so there is less focus on only a part of the photo. But this can mean that distracting elements on the photo will be more in
focus and therefore be even more distracting. This might be wonderful in landscape photography where every detail of the
landscape might be the part of the whole scene, but less effective in portrait photography where you want to bring attention to
the subject, and not the background.
A shorter exposure time brings a bigger aperture and shorter depth of field. Having an image stabilizing option on your camera
reduces the effects of camera shake.
So the usual method is taking the right exposure as starting point (cameras work like this), and let that determine the other
factors. But that is not all. Most Digital SLRs have settings to over expose or under expose.

7.

HOLDING THE CAMERA

Choose a subject or message of your photo

If there is no clear real subject, nothing of graphical interest and no mood to convey, it is probably not an interesting photo.
Remove things that dont add to the photo
Especially if they detract from the central message. You should not only know what to include, but also what to exclude. Find a
simple background and look for balance.
Dont be afraid to zoom in or get very close
The most common mistake is that photos are taken from too far away and that there is just too much environment that
doesnt add to the message. Filling the image with the subject underlines what the intended subject is, and removes cluttered
background. It achieves simplicity.
Dont automatically center your subjects
Beginners massively center their main subjects on their photos. This is not illogical because the
photographer aims at the subject with the camera viewer. If you rather place the subject outside the
center it will often result in a more dynamic composition. Experiment with that.
A popular guideline is the rule of thirds. Imagine the frame
divided into thirds, both vertically and horizontally, like a
tic-tac-toe board. Then place the subject on or near one of
the lines or intersections. This is called the rule of thirds, or
the golden mean. However dont follow this rule slavishly.
Remember that the eyes are most important for people
and animals. When zooming in and the head fills the image,
the rule of thirds applies to the position of the eyes.
Be sure to hold your camera level
It will break the strength of your photo if the horizon appears with an apparent angle.
Sometimes photo opportunities appear in a split second, and you have just no time to control the angle of your camera. When at
home your photo appears to be tilted, no problem. With imaging tools its easy to level the photo afterwards. However this gives
a small loss in image quality. So practice your reflexes to hold your camera level in the first place.

8.

METERING

The process of measuring the available light reflected from the subject to calculate the proper shutter speed or aperture.

9.

FOCUSING

It is the adjustment of the lens of the camera to bring the subject into sharp view.

10.

DEPTH OF FIELD

It is the area of a photograph that is in focus. In optics,

particularly as it relates to film and photography, the
depth of field (DOF) is the portion of a scene that
appears sharp in the image. Although a lens can
precisely focus at only one distance, the decrease in
sharpness is gradual on either side of the focused
distance, so that within the DOF, the unsharpness is
imperceptible under normal viewing conditions.
For some images, such as landscapes, a large DOF may be appropriate, while for others, such as portraits, a small DOF may be
more effective. In cinematography, a large DOF is often called deep focus, and a small DOF is often called shallow focus.

11.

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COMPOSITION

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The raised eyebrow of a spectator, the waterfall in a mountain forest, former opposites shaking hands. To have impact, the eye
of the viewer must be directly drawn to the main point of interest of the picture. So in the first place the photo must provide
such a main point, and secondly that must be heavily prominent. If there is visual clutter in the picture, attention flows to
irrelevant portions of the photo, and the impact is gone before you know it. With placing and removing accents, you can give
vital direction to a photo. As you position yourself for the photo look out for power poles, lampposts and other objects behind
the subject that can ruin your photo. When it happens, reposition yourself or the subject.
Also avoid objects in the background that visually merge with the subject because they have the same color. Let the subject be
freestanding.

12.

DIGITAL SENSOR

An image sensor is a device that converts an optical image to an electric signal. It is used mostly in
digital cameras and other imaging devices. An image sensor is typically a charge-coupled device
(CCD) or a complementary metaloxidesemiconductor (CMOS) active-pixel sensor.

13.

DIGITAL IMAGE DATA STORAGE

A CompactFlash (CF) card is one of many media types used to store digital
photographs. Most digital cameras utilize some form of removable storage
to store image data. While the vast majority of the media types are some
form of memory card using flash memory.

14.

DIGITAL IMAGE RESOLUTION

The resolution of a digital camera is often limited by the camera sensor (typically a CCD or CMOS sensor chip) that turns light into
discrete signals, replacing the job of film in traditional photography. The sensor is made up of millions of "buckets" that
essentially count the number of photons that strike the sensor. This means that the brighter the image at a given point on the
sensor, the larger the value that is ready for that pixel. Depending on the physical structure of the sensor, a color filter array may
be used which requires a demosaicing/interpolation algorithm. The number of resulting pixels in the image determines its "pixel
count". For example, a 640x480 image would have 307,200 pixels, or approximately 307 kilopixels; a 3872x2592 image would
have 10,036,224 pixels, or approximately 10 megapixels.
The pixel count alone is commonly presumed to indicate the resolution of a camera, but this is a misconception. There are
several other factors that impact a sensor's resolution. Some of these factors include sensor size, lens quality, and the
organization of the pixels. Many digital compact cameras are criticized for having excessive pixels. Sensors can be so small that
their 'buckets' can easily overfill; again, resolution of a sensor can become greater than the camera lens could possibly deliver.

15.

IMAGE FILE FORMATS

The Joint Photography Experts Group standard (JPEG) is the most common file format for storing image data. Other file types
include Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) and Raw data formats.
Many cameras, especially professional or DSLR cameras, support a Raw format. A raw image is the unprocessed set of pixel data
directly from the camera's sensor. They are often saved in formats proprietary to each manufacturer, such as NEF for Nikon,
CRW or CR2 for Canon, and MRW for Minolta. Adobe Systems has released the DNG format, a royalty free raw image format
which has been adopted by a few camera manufacturers.
Raw files initially had to be processed in specialized image editing programs, but over time many mainstream editing programs
have added support for raw images. Editing raw format images allows more flexibility in settings such as white balance, exposure
compensation, color temperature, and so on. In essence raw format allows the photographer to make major adjustments
without losing image quality that would otherwise require retaking the picture.

16.

LENSES

16.1

FIXED AND VARIABLE

16.1.1 MACRO LENS

A lens that is made for extreme close-up photography to capture small
subjects big on the image.

16.1.2 WIDE-ANGLE LENS

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A lens with a short focal length and a larger field of view.

16.1.3 FISH-EYE LENS

An extremely wide-angle lens that enables views exceeding
100 degrees up to 180 degrees, but distorts the image.

16.1.4 TELEPHOTO LENS

Lens with an adjustable focal length that lets you see a scene from a
narrow to a wide field of view.

16.1.5 SUPER TELEPHOTO / LONG LENS

Lens with a large focal length, for example 800mm

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Glossary of Photographic Term

A
ADJUSTABLE CAMERA
Commonly
called
the
manual camera. A camera
with manually adjustable
settings for distance, lens
openings,
and
shutter
speeds.
ADJUSTABLE-FOCUS LENS
A lens that has adjustable
distance settings.
AMBIENT LIGHT
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.
APERTURE
Lens opening. The hole or
opening formed by the
metal leaf diaphragm inside
the lens or the opening in a
camera lens through which
light passes to expose the
film or the digital sensor.
The size of aperture is either
fixed or adjustable.
AUTOFOCUS (AF)
System by which the camera
lens or the camera body
automatically focuses the
image of a selected part of
the picture subject.
AUTOMATIC CAMERA
A camera with a built-in
exposure
meter
that
automatically adjusts the
lens opening, shutter speed,
or both (program) for proper
exposure.
B
B (BULB) SETTING
A shutter-speed setting on
an adjustable camera that
allows for time exposures.
When set on B, the shutter
will stay open as long as the
shutter
release
button
remains depressed. Another
similar option is the "T"
setting, where it never
drains the battery power on
automatic camera body.
BACKGROUND

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The part of the scene that

appears behind the principal
subject of the picture. The
sharpness of the background
can be influenced by
apertures and shuttle set. In
the flash mode, bulb setting
usually is set for absorbing
more
ambience
light
(background information),
so the end result of the
exposure won't be pitch
dark.
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).
BLOWUP
An enlargement; a print that
is made larger than the
negative or slide.
BOUNCE LIGHTING
Flash or tungsten light
bounced off a reflector (such
as the ceiling or walls) or
attachment that fits on the
flash to give the effect of
natural or available light.
C
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.
CAST
Abnormal coloring of an
image
produced
by
departure
from

recommended exposure or
processing conditions with a
transparency film, or when
making a color print. Can
also be caused by reflection
within the subject as from a
hat on to the face.

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.

CCD
Electronic sensor used by all
autofocus cameras, capable
of
detecting
subject
contrast; also an imagereceiving device for video
camera.

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).

CLOSE-UP
A picture taken with the
subject close to the camerausually less than two or
three feet away, but it can
be as close as a few inches.
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 Kelvin (K). Thus
"photographic daylight" has
a color temperature of
about 5500K.
COMPACT FLASH
Most digital cameras with PC
Card interfaces use a
storage technology called
Compact Flash.
COMPOSITION
The pleasing arrangement of
the elements within a scenethe main subject, the
foreground and background,
and supporting subjects.
CROPPING
Printing only part of the
image that is in the negative
or slide, usually for a more
pleasing composition, in
medium format, especially
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.
D
DARKROOM
A light tight area used for
processing films and for
printing and processing

DEFINITION
The clarity of detail in a
photograph.
DEPTH OF FIELD
The zone of acceptable
sharpness in front of and
behind the subject on which
the lens is focused; extends
approx. one-third in front of
and two thirds behind the
in-focus subject; dependent
on three factors: aperture,
focal length, and focused
distance; the wider the
aperture, the longer the
focal length, and the closer
the focused distance, the
less the depth of field, and
vice versa.
DIFFUSE LIGHTING
Lighting that is low or
moderate in contrast, such
as on an overcast day.
DIFFUSING
Softening detail in a print
with a diffusion disk or other
material that scatters light.
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.

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E
ENLARGEMENT
A print that is larger than the
negative or slide; also called
"blowup".
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.
EXPOSURE
The quantity of light allowed
to act on a photographic
material; a product of the
intensity (controlled by the
lens opening) and the
duration (controlled by the
shutter speed or enlarging
time) of light striking the
film or paper. The act of
allowing light to reach the
light-sensitive emulsion of
the photographic material or
a digital sensor.
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/Autofocus
Lock) button or exposure
compensation button, or by
Auto Exposure Bracketing .
F
FLASH MEMORY CARD
A storage medium that uses
by most digital cameras. It
resembles
film
in
conventional photography.
We have an detailed article
relating to this.

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FOCUS
Adjustment of the distance
setting on a lens to define
the
subject
sharply.
Generally, the act of
adjusting a lens to produce a
sharp image. In a camera,
this is effected by moving
the lens bodily towards or
away from the film or by
moving the front part of the
lens towards or away from
the rear part, thus altering
its focal length.
FOCUS RANGE
The range within which a
camera is able to focus on
the selected picture subject
- 4 feet to infinity - for
example.
FOREGROUND
The area between the
camera and the principal
subject.
FPS
Frames per second. 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.
FREE WORKING DISTANCE
In close-up photography, the
distance between the front
of the lens and the subject;
increases as the focal length
increases;
important
consideration
when
photographing
shy
or
dangerous subjects or when
using
supplementary
illumination.
GJ
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 multilayer coating of the
lens elements.
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.
H
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.
HYPERFOCAL DISTANCE
Distance of the nearest
object in a scene that is
acceptably sharp when the
lens is focused on infinity.
I
IMAGE
Two-dimensional
reproduction of a subject
formed by a lens. When
formed on a surface, i.e. a
ground-glass screen, it is a
real image; if in space, i.e.
when the screen is removed,
it is an aerial image. The
image seen through a
telescope optical viewfinder,
etc. cannot be focused on a
surface without the aid of
another optical system and
is a virtual image.
INCIDENT LIGHT
Light falling on a surface as
opposed to the light
reflected by it.
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.
INTERCHANGEABLE LENS
Lens designed to be readily
attached to and detached
from a camera.
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.
K-N
K
Kelvin. A scale use to
measure
the
colour
temperature. 5000 K refer to
normal daylight.
LCD PANEL
An electronically generated
text, numeric & symbols.
Before the popularity of the
LCD, LED is the most
common
method.
LCD
consume only one fifth (1/5)
of the power of the LED and
thus
have
a
wider
application in photographic
line. The only problem is, it'll
turn dark at very high
temperature (will resume to
normal when cool down)
and it will fades in extended
time.
LENS
One or more pieces of
optical glass or similar
material designed to collect
and focus rays of light to
form a sharp image on the
film, paper, or projection
screen.

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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 picturetaking 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.
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
colour photography, greater
ratios may be used for effect
in black-and-white work
LUX
A measurement of the light
intensity. One Lux in video
means light level of a candle
light.
MACRO LENS
A lens that provides
continuous focusing from
infinity to extreme closeups, often to a reproduction
ratio of 1:2 (half life-size) or
1:1
(life-size).
Nikon's
version for their "macro" is
"micro", eg. 105mm F2.8
Micro-Nikkor.
MICRO LENS
A
lens
for
close-up
photography; designed to
focus continuously from
infinity
down
to
a
reproduction ratio of 1: 2, or
with a matched extension
ring or teleconverter down

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to 1: 1; available in normal
or telephoto focal lengths to
provide a variety of free
working distances; with the
exception of Nikon, this type
of lens is called a "Micro
Nikkor" lens. Also see above,
Macro or Makro (Usually for
German origin lenses)..
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. "
OP
OFF-THE-FILM METERING
A meter which determines
exposure by reading light
reflected from the film
during picture-taking or a
way of metering meters light
reflects off film plane during
exposure. First pioneered by
Olympus on its famous
OM2n, which is real time
metering
for
normal
exposure
and
flash
exposures. Most flash mode
for modern cameras are
with OTF flash mode now.
OVEREXPOSURE
A condition in which too
much light reaches the film,
producing a dense negative
or a very bright/light print or
slide.
PANORAMA
A broad view, usually scenic.
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-tosubject 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."

POSITIVE
The opposite of a negative,
an image with the same
tonal relationships as those
in the original scenes-for
example, a finished print or
a slide.
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 autofocus
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.
QR
REFLECTOR
Any device used to reflect
light onto a subject to
improve
balance
of
exposure (contrast). Another
way is to use fill in flash.
RESOLUTION
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 lensthe 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.
RGB
The red, green & blue, the
black is simulated color.
CMYK is the four primary
colors.
ST
SCALE
Focusing method consisting
of set of marks to indicate
distances at which a lens is
focused. May be engraved
around the lens barrel, on
the focusing control or on
the camera body.
SCREEN
In a camera. the surface
upon which the lens projects
an image for viewfinding
and,
usually,
focusing
purposes. In SLR cameras.
almost universally a fresnel
screen with a fine-ground
surface. Often incorporates
a microprism or split-image
rangefinder.
SELF-TIMER
Mechanism delaying the
opening of the shutter for
some seconds after the
release has been operated.
Also known as delayed
action.
SHUTTER
Blades, a curtain, plate, or
some other movable cover
in a camera that controls the
time during which light
reaches the film.
SHUTTER PRIORITY
An exposure mode on an
automatic or autofocus
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.
SINGLE-LENS-REFLEX (SLR)
A type of camera that allows
you to see through the
camera's lens as you look in
the camera's viewfinder.
Other camera functions,
such as light metering and
flash control, also operate
through the camera's lens.

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SOFT LIGHTING
Lighting that is low or
moderate in contrast, such
as on an overcast day.
SYNCHRONISATION.
Concerted action of shutter
opening and closing of
electrical contacts to fire a
flashbulb or electronic flash
at the correct moment to
make most efficient use of
the light output. Roughly
speaking,
FP
or
Msynchronization
is
constructed
to
fire
flashbulbs just before the
shutter is fully open,
allowing a build-up time,
and X-synchronization fires
electronic flash exactly at
the moment the shutter is
fully open.
T
THROUGH-THE-LENS
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-lensreflex (SLR) camera, while
focusing and composing a
picture, eliminates parallax.
THROUGH-THE-LENS
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.
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.
TLR
Twin lens reflex camera that

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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-andwhite
and
color
photographs.
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 monopod, single leg
tripod.

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.

U-Z
UNDEREXPOSURE
A condition in which too
little light reaches the film,
producing a thin negative, a
dark slide, or a muddylooking print.
UNIPOD
Also refer as monopod. A
one-legged support used to
hold the camera steady. Also
see "tripod".
UV
The ultra violet ray. This is
beyond the visible spectrum
i.e.
it's
invisible
electromagnetic radiation of
the sunlight. UV lenses are
very expensive.
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.
Device or system indicating
the
field
of
view
encompassed by the camera
lens. The term is sometimes
used as a description of the
type of camera that does
not use reflex or "straightthrough" viewing systems
and therefore has to have a
separate viewfinder.
ZOOM LENS

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NOTES

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