Digital Photography: A Glossary of Terms and Computer Tutorials

Aperture: An aperture is a circular opening that controls the amount of light that enters an optical instrument. In cameras, the size of the aperture affects the depth of field and exposure.

Aperture Priority: Aperture Priority is a semi-automatic exposure mode found in many digital and film cameras.

Aspect Ratio: This is a term used in the fields of photography, television, and digital media to describe the proportional relationship between the height and width of an image.

Auto-Focus and Manual Focus: Auto-focus is a common feature found in most cameras that automatically adjusts the focus of the lens, while manual focus is a camera mode that gives the photographer more control over what's in focus.

Bokeh: In photography, bokeh refers to an aesthetic quality that comes from rendering points of light out of focus.

Camera Body: A camera body is the main structure of a camera that houses the essential components necessary for capturing images, including the sensor, shutter mechanism, and image storage medium.

Chromatic Aberration: Also known as color fringing, chromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon that occurs when a lens fails to focus all colors to the same convergence point.

Composition: The arrangement of elements within a photograph is its composition.

Crop Factor: A camera's crop factor describes the ratio of the diagonal of a 35 mm film frame to the diagonal of the camera's sensor.

Depth of Field: Depth of field is the range of distance within a photo that appears acceptably sharp. Essentially, it describes how much of your image is in focus.

DSLR: A Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera is a type of digital camera that uses a mirror mechanism to reflect light from the camera's lens up into an optical viewfinder.

Dynamic Range: In photography, dynamic range is the range of light levels, from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights, that a camera sensor or film can capture.

Exposure Triangle: The exposure triangle is a concept in photography that describes the relationship between three key components: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. These three key elements work together to control the exposure of an image.

Focal Length: The distance between the camera sensor and the lens is the focal length.

F-Stop: F-stop is a measurement of the aperture size of a camera.

Hot Shoe: A hot shoe is a mounting point on the top of a camera that allows for the attachment of accessories, most commonly an external flash.

Image Stabilization: Image stabilization is used in photography and videography to reduce the blurring associated with the motion of a camera during exposure.

ISO: A camera's ISO setting determines the sensitivity of its sensor to light.

Light Meter: A light meter is an essential tool in photography that measures the amount of light in the surrounding space.

Mirrorless Camera: A mirrorless camera is one that doesn't use a mirror to reflect the image captured by the lens onto the viewfinder. Instead, it uses an electronic viewfinder or screen.

Overexposure and Underexposure: Overexposure is what happens when too much light is let into the camera, creating a washed-out image, while underexposure is the opposite, resulting in an image that's too dark.

Point-and-Shoot: A point-and-shoot camera is one that's designed to be easy for amateurs to use, allowing the photographer to take pictures by just pushing one button.

Post-Production or Post-Processing: The post-production or post-processing stage is when a digital image is edited using photo editing software.

Prime Lens: A prime lens, also known as a unifocal lens, has a single focal length.

Raw Files: Image files that have not been altered or compressed in any way are raw files.

Shutter Priority: The Shutter Priority setting on a camera automatically sets the aperture and ISO to fit the shutter speed that the photographer has chosen.

Shutter Speed: Shutter speed is the speed at which the camera's shutter opens and closes. A slower shutter speed lets more light reach the sensor, good for low-light situations, while a faster shutter speed can capture fast-moving subjects with less blur.

Single-Lens Reflex Camera: A Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) camera uses a mirror and prism system to reflect light coming through the lens onto the viewfinder, allowing the photographer to view exactly what will be captured through the lens.

Telephoto Lens: A telephoto lens is a type of lens that has a longer focal length than standard lenses.

TIFF: The Tagged Image File Format is a versatile and widely used file format favored in professional photography due to its ability to store high-quality images with rich detail and color depth.

Viewfinder: The viewfinder is a camera component that allows the photographer to see what will be captured by the camera.

Vignetting: Vignetting is a photographic technique characterized by a gradual reduction of brightness or saturation at the periphery of an image compared to the center.

White Balance: White balance is a camera or software setting that adjusts the colors of a photograph so that white objects appear white, correcting for conditions where the light has a blue or yellow cast.

Wide-Angle Lens: A wide-angle lens has a shorter focal length, allowing it to capture a wider field of view than standard lenses.

Zoom Lens: A zoom lens is a lens that allows the photographer to change the focal length, enabling them to zoom in or out on a subject.

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