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Vocabulary

Here are definition of many photography-specific words that have been used in the tutorials.

Aperture: an opening in the lens that lets light enter the camera. The aperture can be made bigger or smaller in order to properly expose photos taken in conditions of low or high light intensity.

Depth of Field: the amount of space around the subject that is in focus. A wide depth of field allows the subject and a background that is far away to be in focus while a narrow depth of field will only allow for the subject to be in focus. The depth of field is controlled by the aperture. A wide aperture or a high f-stop value produces a narrow depth of field while a narrow aperture will yield a wide depth of field.

Dodging: a manual procedure done in film photography when processing the photo which reduces exposure of certain print areas. This creates lighter areas on the photo.

F-stop: (or f-number) a term referring to the quantitative measure of the size of the aperture.

Filter: a lens screen that is used for controlling the rendering of color or for diminishing the intensity of light.

ISO: the sensitivity of film to light or film speed. A high ISO value will better expose images but will also create noise. Digital cameras also use ISO to imitate different film speeds.

Macro Lens: special purpose lens which gives a close-up view of the subject. A magnification level of 1:1 is usually best. This can bring small insect eyes, for example, into focus.

Noise: Unwanted random pixels that don't belong in the photo are found in photos taken in low light conditions or at a high ISO value.

Point and Shoot Camera: A simple, easy to use camera that allows the user to simply point at the subject and take the photo. The camera automatically calculates shutters speed and aperture values. Some P&S cameras, however, allow the user to adjust the shutter speed and aperture.

Shutter Speed: the amount of time the shutter is held open when a picture is taken allowing light to reach the film. It is measured in seconds; 1/125th of a second would be a typical shutter speed.

SLR camera: Single Lens Reflex Camera. Allows the photographer to manually adjust many features such as shutter speed, aperture, and ISO value.

More detailed information about all the above topics can be found in Wikipedia.