Photographic Vocabulary
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Photography Glossary
*ACETIC ACID - A chemical used as a stop bath for films
and papers.
ADJUSTABLE CAMERA - a camera with manually adjustable
distance settings, lens openings, and shutter speeds.
ADJUSTABLE-FOCUS LENS - a lens that has adjustable Focal
length.
AGITATION - Causing the movement of chemicals over film or
paper.
AESTHETICS – The appearance or beauty of an object.
ANGLE OF VIEW: The portion of a scene that is seen by a
camera lens. The width of this wedge shaped portion is determined by the focal
length of the lens.
A wide angle (short focal length) lens includes more of a
scene, or a wider angle of view, than a normal (normal focal length) or
telephoto lens.
*APERTURE - lens opening. The opening in a lens system
through which light passes. The size of the aperture is either fixed or
adjustable. Lens openings are usually calibrated in f-numbers.
* ASA - Measures film speed. Also know as ISO
AUTOMATIC CAMERA - Camera chooses the f-stop and shutter
speed.
AUTOMATIC LENS - A lens that stays open to its largest
aperture until the shutter button is pressed, at which point it automatically
closes down to the preset f-stop.
BACKLIGHTING - light shining on the subject from the
direction opposite the camera, distinguished from front lighting and side
lighting.
* BDE-Basic Daylight Exposure or the * sweet 16 rule. @ 22
degrees you set the shutter speed to the same speed as the ISO or film speed.
You then adjust your aperture or shutter speed to reciprocal values.
*BRACKETING - An exposure is taken according to the
light-meter reading and then extra exposures are taken, overexposing and
underexposing.
* BALANCE: placement of colors, light and dark masses, or
large and small objects in a picture to create a harmony and equilibrium.
BELLOWS: the folding portion in some cameras that connects
the lens to the camera body.
BLOWUP: an enlargement, a print that is made bigger than
the negative or slide.
BRACKETING – Changing exposure to allow more or less light
onto the film.
BULB: "B" A shutter setting permitting the
shutter to stay open as long as the shutter button is pressed.
BURNING IN - giving additional exposure to a part of the
image projected on an enlarger easel to make that area of the print darker.
This is accomplished after the basic exposure by extending the exposure time to
allow additional image-forming light to strike the areas in the print you want
to darken while holding back the image-forming light from the rest of the
image.
CAMERA ANGLES: various positions of the camera with
respect to the subject, each giving a different view point or effect.
CANDID PICTURES - UN -posed pictures, often taken without
the subject's knowledge. Usually these appear more natural and relaxed than
posed pictures.
CHANGING BAG - A light-tight bag we use when loading film
onto a reel.
CLEARING AGENT: a chemical that neutralizes hypo in film
or paper, reducing washing time and helping to provide a more stable image.
CLOSE-UP: a picture taken with the camera close to the
subject.
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 would allow.
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 than an uncoated lens.
COMPOSITION-the arrangement of all the elements in a picture--
main subject, foreground, background, and supporting subjects.
CONDENSER ENLARGER: an enlarger with a sharp, undiffused
light that produces high contrast and high definition in a print. Scratches and
blemishes in the print are emphasized.
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 difference between dark and light tones in a
negative or print.
"0" to "2" low to normal contrast
(flat)
"2" to "3" medium contrast
"3" to "7" high contrast
Low contrast negative "3" to "5"
filter
Normal contrast negative "2" to "3"
filter
High contrast negative "0" to "1"
filter
CROPPING: Eliminating unwanted parts of a picture either
in the camera or under the enlarger.
DARKROOM - A light-tight room for developing film or
making prints.
DENSE NEGATIVE: A very dark negative because of heavy
silver buildup from over exposure of the negative.
DEPTH OF FIELD - The zone from the point closest to the
camera to the point farthest from the camera that is acceptably in focus.
DEPTH OF FIELD SCALE - A set of numbers on a lens that
indicated how much depth of field a given f-stop will produce.
DEVELOPER - The chemical that turns the exposed
silver halide crystals into black metallic silver, allowing the latent image to
become visible.
DEVELOPING REELS - Plastic or steel reels used to load
film.
DODGING - A printing technique used to selectively lighten
parts of a print: the opposite of burning.
DRY MOUNTING - A method of attaching a print directly to a
mat board through the use of dry mount tissue placed between the print and the
board. The tissue, when heated, adheres the print to the board.
DRY MOUNT PRESS - A large press used to heat up dry-mount
tissue, thus pressing the print and the mat board together.
EASEL - A flat board used in printing paper in place.
EMULSION: The layer of film or paper that is light
sensitive. B&W emulsions are said to have one layer, they consist of silver
halide crystals
EXPOSURE - The combination of f-stop and shutter speed
used to allow a proper amount of light to fall onto the film or the combination
of f-stop and time used to allow the proper amount of light to fall onto printing
paper.
F-STOP- Measure of aperture size, often called the f-#
FAST FILM-Film with an emulsion very sensitive to light.
Fibre-base papers - (baryta) can be written on, stamped
and retouched without problems
Fibre-based papers have much longer developing times.
FILM - A light sensitive silver halide emulsion attached
to a plastic base, used to trap light and create an image.
FILM SPEED-indicated film sensitivity to light. ISO or ASA
FILTER: An accessory used in printing with variable contrast
papers to vary the contrast of the paper.
Low contrast negative "3" to "5"
filter
Normal contrast negative "2" to "3"
filter
High contrast negative "0" to "1"
filter
FIXER: A chemical used in film and print development to
clear away unexposed silver halide crystals and make the image safe to view
under white light.
FLASH: A bulb used with a camera to supply artificial
light.
FLAT-Low contrast on a negative or print.
FOCUS - Adjusting a lens sharply, defining the image.
FOCAL LENGTH- Measurement of the lens size.
FOCAL PLANE SHUTTER: A shutter located in front of the
film, that moves horizontally or vertically across the focal plane.
FOCAL POINT – The part of the image that first catches
your eye.
FOG - Unwanted light that pre-exposes film or paper,
leaving them black in places where light has struck.
FULL STOP: A change in the lens opening from one f-stop to
the next.
GRAIN: Clumps of silver crystals on film emulsions.
GRAY CARD: Cardboard colored mid gray tone, used to
determine proper film exposure.
HALF STOP: A lens opening between two major f-stops.
HARD: Slang for high contrast in a print.
HYPO-CHECK: A solution used to check fix.
INCIDENT LIGHT: Light that falls on a subject
ISO OR ASA - International standards organization. Measure
of film speed.
LIGHT METER-Instrument that measures light intensity
LENS FLARE-Light spots or streaks on the print because of
excess light reflections from the sun or other light source on the lens.
MANUAL CAMERAS- Both the f-stop or shutter speed is chosen
and set with the aid of a light meter.
NEGATIVE - Film that has been exposed and developed.
OVEREXPOSURE-Too much light reaching film or paper
PANNING-Swinging the camera to follow a moving subject
while gently pressing down and releasing the shutter button.
Photographic Paper - See *
Paper Weights-
FB = fibre base
RC = resin coated: their bases are resistant to water and
chemicals, they have particularly short processing times.
Paper Surfaces =
Glossy
Natural high gloss for RC only
Semi-matte or lustre or pearl
PHOTOGRAM - A print made without using a negative
during exposure. Instead, objects are placed directly on light sensitive paper,
which is then exposed. The photogram is created completely in the darkroom.
Each is a one of a kind original.
COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAM - Each print contains a center image
made from a negative. This is exposed then masked off. A photogram is then
created around the center of the image. No two prints can ever be alike.
PHOTO-FLO-Chemical addition to the final was for film to
prevent water spots.
PICTURE PLANE – The full composition which you see through
the view-finder.
REFLECTED LIGHT- Light that reflects off the subject and
bounces back to the meter.
SAFELIGHT - A colored light to which printing paper is not
sensitive.
SANDWICHING-Combining 2 or more negatives for printing.
SELECTIVE FOCUSING - Part of the image is in focus and the
background or foreground or both is blurred.
SHADOW AREA - The part of the negative or print that
represents the dark areas of photography. In a negative, the shadows are the
thin parts and in the print the shadows are the dense areas.
SHUTTER- The device in a camera to control the length of
time exposure.
SHUTTER SPEED-Measure of the amount time the shutter
remains open.
SILVER HALIDE CRYSTALS-The element that make up the
emulsion of a negative.
* with one lens- viewing and focusing is accomplished
through lens.
SLOW FILM-Film with an emulsion that is not very sensitive
to light. Ex.32 ISA
SNAPSHOT-Refers to photo album type pictures.
SOFT- Slang for negative or print with low contrast
SOLORIZING (SABATEIRRE) Re-exposing paper to light after
being in the developer and then finish
WEIGHTING – How an image is balanced either to the top,
bottom or side.