vocabulary 1

AE - see automatic exposure

AF - see automatic focus

Aperture - the opening in the lens that allows light to enter the camera. Aperture is usually described as an f/number. The higher the f/number, the smaller the aperture; and the lower the f/number, the larger the aperture.

Aperture Priority - A type of automatic exposure  in which you manually select the aperture and the camera automatically selects the shutter speed.

Artificial light - Usually refers to any light source that doesn't exist in nature, such as incandescent,  fluorescent, and other other manufactured lighting.

Available light - the amount of illumination at a given location that applies to natural an artificial light sources but not that those supply specifically for photography. It is also called existing light or ambient light. 

Blacklight - light that projects toward the camera from behind the subject 

Bit/Byte - binary digit. This is the basic unit of binary computation/ eight bits.

Bounce Light - light that reflects off of another surface before illuminating the subject

Bulb - a camera setting that allows the shutter to stay open as long as the shutter release is depressed

Card reader - device that connects to your computer and enables quick and easy download of images from memory card to computer

Close-up  - a general term used to describe an image created by closely focusing on a subject. Often involves the use of special lenses or extension tubes. Also an automated exposure setting that automatically selects a large aperture. 

Compression - method reducing file size through removal of redundant data, as with the JPEG file format 

Contrast - the difference between two or more tones in terms of lluminance, destiny, or darkness

CPU - central processing unit. This is the "brain" of the computer or the lens 

Cropping - the process of extracting a portion of the image area. If this portion of the image is enlarged, resolution is subsequently lowered.

Daylight - a white balance setting that renders accurate color when shooting in mid-day sunlight

Depth of Field - the image space in the front of and behind the plane of focus that appears acceptably sharp in the photograph

Download - the transfer of date to one device to another, such as from camera to computer or computer to printer

DPI - dots per inch, referring to printer resolution

Exposure - when light enters the camera and reacts with the sensitized medium. The term can also refer to the amount of light that strikes the light sensitive medium.