Photography Terms and Acronyms for Beginners
Photography has the basic terms and acronyms that should be known by one who enthusiasts of photography, especially for beginners. Some commonly used these photography terms that may have sounded familiar, but for beginners may be merely a brief hearing without understanding the meaning of these photography terms.
Knowledge of the definition of the photography terms is probably not too important, but can help to understand and can also improve photographic skill. Because by understanding these photography terms, then you can try to explore your digital camera with a lot more.
Some of the photography terms and acronyms are:
Composition : How you set up subject and props of the photo
The pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene-the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting subjects.
Ambient Light : Light the photographer didn’t create ie. Sunlight, lightbulbs already in the room etc.
The available 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.
Angle Of View : What the lens sees, kind of like what you see when you look at something
The area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens. A wide-angle lens (short-focal-length) includes more of the scene-a wider angle of view-than a normal (normal-focal-length) or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens.
Aperture : the f/ number thing, controls exposure and depth of field, also know as the blade things inside the lens.
Lens opening. The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film or sensor. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening.
Bokeh
The blurry part of the photo achieved with a narrow depth of field.
Bracketing
Shooting 3 or more shots with an equal stop difference between each one, usually used for HDR’s
Chromatic aberration
Commonly seen as colour fringes at the edge of subjects caused by the inability of the lens to focus all wawelengths of light at a single focal point. Will also affect sharpness. Low dispersion glass is used to correct this. Canon L series, Nikkor ED, Sigma DG, Sony G, also labeled as APO.
Crop Factor Sensor
Size of the sensor is smaller than a 35mm film frame. Most common crops are 1.3X, 1.5X (Nikon), 1.6X(Canon), and 2.0X(3/4ths systems)
Cropping : Cutting out parts of the image by decreasing what you see on the sides
Printing only part of the image that is in the negative or slide, usually for a more pleasing composition. May also refer to the framing of the scene in the viewfinder.
Depth of Field : Blurry Background
The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens opening, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the lens to the subject.
Digital lenses
Canon S, Sony DT, Tamrom Di II, Sigma DC, Nikkor DX, Pentax DA – have a smaller image circle specifically designed for APS-C sensors. Not usable on full-frame.
Exposure : Brightness/Darkness of the final photo.
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.
Exposure Compensation : Adjusting the brightness of an image with one move.
a technique for adjusting the exposure indicated by a photographic exposure meter, in consideration of factors that may cause the indicated exposure to result in a less-than-optimal image.
Fast lens
Refers to a lens that has a very wide aperture … ie f/1.8 or f/2.8
Fill flash
A technique used to to brighten shadow areas by using a flash.
Fisheye Lens
Lens that gives a 180 degree field of view
Flare
Internal reflection or scrattering of light from the lens elements. Usually manifesting itself as a bright image region, and/or a reduction in contrast and saturation. Lens hoods are used to shade the lens.
Focal Length : The amount of zoom of the lens, more mm more zoom
The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimeters on the lens mount.
Focus : Sharpness.
Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply.
Focus Point(s)
The dots/boxes inside your viewfinder where you select the camera to focus at, can be set to manual or automatic.
Full Frame Sensor
Size of the sensor is the same as a 35mm Film Frame.
Graininess : Pixel dots on image from film.
The sand-like or granular appearance of a negative, print, or slide. Graininess becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of enlargement.
Grey card
Usually a flat card coloured neutral grey having a 18% reflectance across the visible spectrum. Used to provide a standard reference for exposure. Also used for white balance.
Histogram
A graph Showing you if the image is under/over exposed.
Hyperfocal distance
The focus point where all objects can be brought into acceptable focus up to infinity at a given aperture.
IF – rear or internal focusing
Focusing mechanism in which the front lens group is not moved.
ISO Speed : Sensitivity of sensor/film. Higher ISO Brighter exposure and more noise/grain.
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.
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.
Lens Shade/Hood : The black thing on top of lens to block light entering from the sides of the lens, professionals put it on to make their lens look bigger.
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 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.
Looking Space
Commonly associated with portrait and automotive photography, also links in with “Rule of Thirds”. Making sure your subject has looking space means to allow some blank space in front of your model or car’s face for them or it to “look” into.
Macro Lens : Lens to shoot really close, great for bugs and flowers
A lens that provides continuous focusing from infinity to extreme close-ups, often to a reproduction ratio of 1:2 (half life-size) or 1:1 (life-size).
Metering
Measurement of light on the subject using desired setting in camera or an external light meter. Helps determine exposure.
Monopod
A single leg usually used for heavier lenses while shooting for a long time. Used to take the weight off of one arm.
Noise
Colorful dots you see on the photo when using too high of an ISO.
Normal Lens : Usually a 50mm lens on a Full Frame Body
A lens that makes the image in a photograph appear in perspective similar to that of the original scene. A normal lens has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view than a telephoto lens, and a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a wide-angle lens.
Overexposure
A condition in which too much light reaches the film, producing a dense negative or a very light print or slide.
Panning
Using a longer exposure to show motion in a photo, usually used for fast moving objects like cars, sports players. Or A technique used to accentuate motion of a moving subject by following the motion of the subject (though the viewfinder) for the duration of the exposure.
Post Processing
Editing.
Polarizing filter
Transmits light of a particular polarization while absorbing light that is of a perpendicular polarization. Light reflected by shiny materials is partly or fully polarized. Polarizing filters are turned to change the polarization direction.
Prime Lens
Lens that you can’t zoom on, usually has great image quality.
Rule of Thirds
The common technique of putting the subject slightly off-centre, about a third of the way from either the left, right, upper or lower part of the photograph. Not always the best option, but generally can help a photograph’s composition. For example, if your subject was a tree, you might have the trunk a third of the way from the right-hand side of the viewfinder to help composition.
Stopping Down
Changing the lens aperture to a smaller opening; for example, from f/8 to f/11.
Teleconverter
Something you mount between the lens to increase the focal length of a lens. Usually come in 1.4X and 2.0 flavors. The benefit is that you have a longer focal length without buying a new lens, the draw back is that you lose 1 stop of light with the 1.4X and 2 stops of light with the 2.0X.
Sync speed
Usually referred to as the maximum shutter speed usable for flash photography.
Telephoto lens
A long lens, usually above 70mm, also meaning the physical lens is shorter than it’s focal length.
Tripod
Three legged thing that you put your camera on. Used for heavy lenses or night shots to prevent motion shake.
Vignetting
A fall-off in brightness at the edges of an image, slide, or print. Can be caused by poor lens design, using a lens hood not matched to the lens, or attaching too many filters to the front of the lens.
Wide-Angle Lens
A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.What people call fisheye and they are wrong.
White Balance
Color Temperature of the image. Setting depend on the lighting available.
Zoom Lens
A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In effect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.
Those are some Photography Terms and Acronyms for Beginners. I hope it can help.
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Category: Photography
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I am a person with some engineering education background. Live with two beautiful woman right now. But one of them is still 4 years old. They both are such as a sunshine for me. I like blogging a lot. So i want to make any kind of article that i know exactly.Subscribe
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Really very helpful tips are provided by you here. I like them and I’ll also try to follow them in my best. Keep posting such informative points in future also.
Great list – great idea. How about adding “TTL” to the list? Pretty common today.
Great article for a new photographer. I’m going to share it with my wife. She needs to improve her skills and understanding.
Nice blog. it has been my inspiration becasue I also have a blog explaining photography terms but in Holland and it’s nice to see I am not the only one trying to promote photography to broader public and beginners.
Thanks for your appreciation Harry. I just want to make photography is known for everyone.
I was considering to use AcrylicPix but such good reviews have convinced me
This is one of the most important and helpful tips I have found as a beginner!!
I believe this is one of the best posts I have read about photography for beginners, because most of them don’t explain the terms that clearly and easy for the newbies! Good job!
I see you have covered each and every possible terms in photography. Really helpful post for beginners with nice explanation of each.
Great checklist, if only everything in life was so simple. I usually forget something and end up running around on set for a spare gauze or something.
This might be more slang, but how do you call the sound that the shutter makes: click? snap? I ask, because I write about it on my blog and always feel awkward when I try to describe that sound.
I prefer to call it snap. It sounds different, but i like it.
Shutter ‘snap’ then it is – thank you.
I am a model and shoot photos of the models also. I have a good sense of photoshoot but some times don’t help due to unclearity. If you can improve their situation it will excel your photography skills for having better photographs. I am very conscious with flash.
Phew, well I’m delighted with myself that nothing there made me scratch my head, but a fantastic list for the newbies, always good to see someone put the effort in
Thanks for sharing such valuable information.Keep posting such great info for us thanks
Nice article and comprehensive list of terms for any photographer. I am glad I found your site. Keep up the good work. Thanks!
Wow like alot of people already said I cant believe there are so many terms and ive been a photographer for 10 years. This will def help out the newcomers and such. Thanks for sharing!
So great, I’ve been wanting to get more into photography for years, I have some friends who do it professionally and some who do it as a hobby, and it’s something I’m very interested in. I was familiar with some of those terms, but I’m surprised by how many I didn’t know- I’m surprised there are that many terms at all!
Very complete indeed! I wish I had found something like this when I was starting in photography
Nice collection of tips very helpfull thank you.
I’m trying out photography, really need a new hobby that i can stick to. Thanks for writing some of the terms, didn’t know some of them i’ll admit that.
Wow, Thanks for sharing all this info, I had no idea there were so many different terms in photography. I am slowly getting in to photography after my wife took it up a few years ago and knowing the jargon will really helps us when it comes to buying a new camera and getting the best shots, thanks.
The list is really useful if you want to learn terms and slangs used in photography. I recommend to go over the list and learn some. Thanks Andy
- Penny
Great list! I am trying to buy a new camera and I’m learning so much! Thanks.
Seriously? Most of the words their are not even on my list of vocabulary. Thanks for sharing this! I got to admit that I need to read a lot.
This is awesome, thanks for sharing. Now I can study for that vocabulary exam I’m having on Monday!
Great job for posting this article. It will help a lot of newbies grasp the concept of photography must quicker than ever. Will bookmark your page to pass on to my friends who have just started in this amazing world of photography.
This is a great guide for those just beginning to get into the wonderful world of photography. I could use this as well. Sometimes I forget what those terms mean!
A very comprehensive list, it covers pretty much everything!
Thanks Joe. You are welcome.
I just bought a new camera, to be honest I don’t know how to manipulate it. I’m still practicing it since I love taking photos around me (not me). This would be a good reference for me, thanks for sharing!
I am glad, it can help you. You are welcome.
Awesome list. I have referred a number of newbies to it for basic education. Thanks,
Frank
You are welcome Franks. Thanks for your attention.
What a useful list of terms. I learnt most of them when I was at college years ago but have to admit that some of them had slipped from my memory. A good refresher, thanks.
You are welcome. I am glad can help.
Bekoh – that was a new one to me. I’ve been shooting for years (20 to be exact) and I’ve never heard that or read of it. Old dogs can learn.
It’s Bokeh, not Bekoh.
Your article is very useful, especially for beginners like me. thanks for the article.
thanks for giving us such an information really appreciating keep up with it
Great site, this looks like a useful resource.
Just thought I’d suggest a couple others that people ask me about frequently:
DOF or (DoF) for depth of field, this is a common internet abbreviation, and IQ, for image quality… that one throws a lot of people at first, since most people have only seen it for intelligence quotient.
As Ever,
Matthew Gore
Thanks for your attention here, Matt. I am very appreciate it.
Ok. This is a great post for beginners. I give you that. Keep up the good work.
This are great for novice photographers. thanks for writing.
Andy – thank you for highlighting these tips. I just recently took a beginner’s photography course so I did know most of them, but there were still a couple on the list that were new to me so I’m glad I came across this!
A person who is keen in learning photography will be amazed by reading your blog. Good work you have done in explaining the primary things in photography.
thanks mate.
Though I’m not a high level photographer but these tips are jewels for beginners & intermediate photographers. Can you please suggest which lens would be good for Canon 500D Series? Thank you
It’s depend on what is your purpose. For standard photography, EF 50mm f/1.8 II is good enough. It’s cheap too. But if you want to make better pics, you can invest for EF 50mm f/1.4.
I was very happy to seek out this site.I wanted to thank you for this great learn!! I undoubtedly enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post. Anyway, in my language, there aren’t a lot good supply like this.
Oh,I look for it for nearly half a hour.I am a beginer of it.Thank you for sharing it.
Where did the term “bokeh” come from, do you know? That’s the only one I don’t really get!!
~Heidi
This may be great i will actually try this. Simply wish to say your article is as astonishing. The clarity in your publish is simply good that everyone could relate to it.thanks to this post.
You are welcome. Thanks for your comment here.