Photography Terms

The opening within a lens that allows light to travel to the camera sensor.

The camera’s system to automatically adjust the camera lens to focus on the subject.

The aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image. This is often used for background blur that makes subjects stand out.

Taking multiple shots of the same subject at different exposures to ensure one image has the optimum exposure.

The arrangement of elements within a photo, including how the subject is positioned and framed.

The range of distance within a photo that appears acceptably sharp.

The amount of light that reaches the camera sensor, influencing how light or dark an image appears.

A burst of light from a flash unit (in-camera or external) to illuminate the subject.

The distance between the lens and the image sensor when the subject is in focus, usually stated in millimeters (mm). It determines the lens’s angle of view and magnification

The adjustment made to the lens to make the subject appear sharp and clear.

A technique that combines multiple photos of the same scene taken at different exposures to create a single image with greater dynamic range in shadows and highlights.

A graphical representation of the tonal values of your image, showing the distribution of shadows, midtones, and highlights.

Measures the sensitivity of your camera's sensor to light.

Technology in lenses or camera bodies that reduces blurring associated with the motion of a camera or camera lens during exposure.

A widely used image format that compresses data to reduce file size, potentially sacrificing some image quality in the process.

Adjusting the focus of the lens by hand, allowing the photographer full control over where to focus.

The process of measuring the brightness of a subject to determine the optimum exposure.

The visual distortion that looks like grain in images, usually as a result of shooting in low light at a high ISO.

A lens with a fixed focal length, often offering a larger maximum aperture than zoom lenses.

A file format that captures all image data recorded by the sensor when you take a photo. RAW files offer more flexibility in post-processing compared to JPEG.

A composition principle that divides the image into thirds, horizontally and vertically, suggesting that the subject should be placed at or near these intersecting lines for a more balanced composition.

The amount of time the camera’s shutter is open, exposing light to the camera sensor.

Adjusts colors to make the image look more natural, compensating for the color temperature of different light sources.

A lens with a variable focal length, allowing the photographer to make the subject appear closer or further away without changing the position of the camera.