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Overexposure
A condition in which too much light reaches the film or sensor, producing a dense negative or a very bright/light print or slide.
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NSL Photography's™ Glossary of Photographic Terms - N
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ND
Neutral Density. Usually applies on a filter which effectively reduces the amount of light passing to the film or sensor. In some filters, half ND filters can be very effective to lower the contrast, to the sky to achieve more balance effect.
Negative
The developed film that contains a reversed tone image of the original scene.
NiCd or NICAD
Nickel Cadmium. Used as the backbone of most rechargeable batteries until the development of the Lithium Ion and Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. While these rechargeable batteries performed well for many years they suffered from a "memory problem" and a lack of capacity, which was overcome by the invention of the Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) and Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries.
NiMH
Nickel metal hydride. The NiMH battery uses a hydrogen-absorbing alloy for the negative electrode instead of cadmium. As in NiCd cells, the positive electrode is nickel oxyhydroxide (NiOOH). A NiMH cell can have two to three times the capacity of an equivalent size Nickel-cadmium battery. However, compared to the Lithium-Ion battery, the volumetric energy density is lower and self-discharge is higher.
Noise
Noise comes from misinterpreted pixels found in a digital image, usually occurring in longer exposures. It can be seen as misplaced or random bright pixels in the picture, resulting in random colored dots sprinkled around the image, and/or uneven coloration of what should be smoothly-colored areas usually found in the darker areas of the image.
Normal Lens
A lens that makes the image in a photograph appear in perspective similar to that of the original scene (approximately 45°). 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. Normal lenses corresponding to that portion of human vision in which we can discern sharp detail.
NTSC
National Television Standards Committee. Standards for video broadcasting and recording in the US and Japan.
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ND
Neutral Density. Usually applies on a filter which effectively reduces the amount of light passing to the film or sensor. In some filters, half ND filters can be very effective to lower the contrast, to the sky to achieve more balance effect.
Negative
The developed film that contains a reversed tone image of the original scene.
NiCd or NICAD
Nickel Cadmium. Used as the backbone of most rechargeable batteries until the development of the Lithium Ion and Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. While these rechargeable batteries performed well for many years they suffered from a "memory problem" and a lack of capacity, which was overcome by the invention of the Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) and Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries.
NiMH
Nickel metal hydride. The NiMH battery uses a hydrogen-absorbing alloy for the negative electrode instead of cadmium. As in NiCd cells, the positive electrode is nickel oxyhydroxide (NiOOH). A NiMH cell can have two to three times the capacity of an equivalent size Nickel-cadmium battery. However, compared to the Lithium-Ion battery, the volumetric energy density is lower and self-discharge is higher.
Noise
Noise comes from misinterpreted pixels found in a digital image, usually occurring in longer exposures. It can be seen as misplaced or random bright pixels in the picture, resulting in random colored dots sprinkled around the image, and/or uneven coloration of what should be smoothly-colored areas usually found in the darker areas of the image.
Normal Lens
A lens that makes the image in a photograph appear in perspective similar to that of the original scene (approximately 45°). 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. Normal lenses corresponding to that portion of human vision in which we can discern sharp detail.
NTSC
National Television Standards Committee. Standards for video broadcasting and recording in the US and Japan.
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NSL Photography's™ Glossary of Photographic Terms - M
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Macro Lens
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). Nikon's version for their "macro" is "micro."
Macro photography (Close-up Photography)
The process of taking photographs of small objects with regular photographic lenses at reproduction ratios of 1X or greater; also referred to as "photomacrography. "
Manual
The setting on the camera in which the photographer selects both shutter speed and aperture.
Manual Flash
Flash output is controlled manually unlike in auto flash mode, where flash output power varies automatically according to the selected aperture. Some flash units provide selectable manual outputs (full, 1/2, l/4, 1/8, l/16 etc.), while others provide full manual output only.
Manual Iris
Diaphragm controlled directly by a calibrated ring on the lens barrel.
Matrix Metering System
An exposure metering system using a multi-segment sensor and computer. Along with the classic techniques of evaluating for 18% reflectance, factors such as brightness and contrast are primarily used to determine exposure. In color matrix metering systems the meter also evaluates the colors in the photo to get the best exposure.
Metadata
Metadata is data about data, but while straightforward and correct that definition isn't nearly clear enough.
In digital photography, metadata specifically refers to the attributes of a digital photo. It differs from other types of metadata as it is embedded within the photograph which is describes, and is embedded in such a way that it is independent of the application or environment in which the photograph and the metadata are displayed.
Metadata includes the EXIF data created at the making of photographs in the camera, as well as other data added later by editing software and manually added by the photographer/editor. Photo descriptions, keywords, photographer information, and other data such as IPTC information can be included in a photograph's metadata
MILC
A Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera is a digital camera that has a single, removable lens and uses a digital display viewfinder rather than an optical viewfinder which are characteristic of single lens reflex and digital single lens reflex cameras. It uses an electronic viewfinder because it's “mirrorless,” meaning it doesn't have an optical mirror like a conventional single-lens reflex (SLR) or digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera, so the camera is unable to transmit the view from the lens to the viewfinder optically.
Mirror Lens (Reflex Lens)
Lens in which some (usually two) of the elements are curved mirrors. This construction produces comparatively lightweight short fat long focus lenses. They cannot be fitted with a normal diaphragm.
Mirror Lock
A mechanical function to bring an SLR or DSLR's reflex mirror locked up to reduce camera shake or vibration, eliminating the "slap" of the mirror at the time of exposure.
Monochromatic
Monochromatic colors are all the colors (tints, tones and shades) of a single hue.
Monopod (Unipod)
A one-legged support used to hold the camera steady.
Motor Drive
A mechanism for advancing the film to the next frame and recocking the shutter, activated by an electric motor usually powered by batteries, primarily used for action or sequence photography and for recording images by remote control in an SLR camera.
Multilayer Coating
The depositing of multiple coats of anti-reflective materials on a lens surface to reduce ghost images and flare produced by internal reflections and to insure faithful color rendition.
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Macro Lens
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). Nikon's version for their "macro" is "micro."
Macro photography (Close-up Photography)
The process of taking photographs of small objects with regular photographic lenses at reproduction ratios of 1X or greater; also referred to as "photomacrography. "
Manual
The setting on the camera in which the photographer selects both shutter speed and aperture.
Manual Flash
Flash output is controlled manually unlike in auto flash mode, where flash output power varies automatically according to the selected aperture. Some flash units provide selectable manual outputs (full, 1/2, l/4, 1/8, l/16 etc.), while others provide full manual output only.
Manual Iris
Diaphragm controlled directly by a calibrated ring on the lens barrel.
Matrix Metering System
An exposure metering system using a multi-segment sensor and computer. Along with the classic techniques of evaluating for 18% reflectance, factors such as brightness and contrast are primarily used to determine exposure. In color matrix metering systems the meter also evaluates the colors in the photo to get the best exposure.
Metadata
Metadata is data about data, but while straightforward and correct that definition isn't nearly clear enough.
In digital photography, metadata specifically refers to the attributes of a digital photo. It differs from other types of metadata as it is embedded within the photograph which is describes, and is embedded in such a way that it is independent of the application or environment in which the photograph and the metadata are displayed.
Metadata includes the EXIF data created at the making of photographs in the camera, as well as other data added later by editing software and manually added by the photographer/editor. Photo descriptions, keywords, photographer information, and other data such as IPTC information can be included in a photograph's metadata
MILC
A Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera is a digital camera that has a single, removable lens and uses a digital display viewfinder rather than an optical viewfinder which are characteristic of single lens reflex and digital single lens reflex cameras. It uses an electronic viewfinder because it's “mirrorless,” meaning it doesn't have an optical mirror like a conventional single-lens reflex (SLR) or digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera, so the camera is unable to transmit the view from the lens to the viewfinder optically.
Mirror Lens (Reflex Lens)
Lens in which some (usually two) of the elements are curved mirrors. This construction produces comparatively lightweight short fat long focus lenses. They cannot be fitted with a normal diaphragm.
Mirror Lock
A mechanical function to bring an SLR or DSLR's reflex mirror locked up to reduce camera shake or vibration, eliminating the "slap" of the mirror at the time of exposure.
Monochromatic
Monochromatic colors are all the colors (tints, tones and shades) of a single hue.
Monopod (Unipod)
A one-legged support used to hold the camera steady.
Motor Drive
A mechanism for advancing the film to the next frame and recocking the shutter, activated by an electric motor usually powered by batteries, primarily used for action or sequence photography and for recording images by remote control in an SLR camera.
Multilayer Coating
The depositing of multiple coats of anti-reflective materials on a lens surface to reduce ghost images and flare produced by internal reflections and to insure faithful color rendition.
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NSL Photography's™ Glossary of Photographic Terms - L
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Latent Image
The invisible image left by the action of light on photographic film, or paper. The light changes the photosensitive salts to varying degrees depending on the amount of light striking them. When processed, this latent image will become a visible image either in reversed tones (as in a negative) or in positive tones (as in a color slide).
LCD panel (Liquid Crystal Display)
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is an electronically-modulated optical device shaped into a thin, flat panel made up of any number of color or monochrome pixels filled with liquid crystals and arrayed in front of a light source (backlight) or reflector. It is often utilized in battery-powered electronic devices because it uses very small amounts of electric power. It is capable of displaying text and graphics.
LD
Low dispersion glass, or UD (ultra low dispersion) or SD (Super Low dispersion), refers to optically superior glass, intended to minimize the chromatic aberration of the lens
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, sensor, paper, or projection screen.
Lens Aberration
Optical flaws which are present in small amounts in all photographic lenses, made up of chromatic aberration, spherical aberration, curvature of field, distortion, etc. A perfect lens would show the image of a point as a point and a straight line as a straight line, but in practice, lenses are never perfect. They reproduce a point as a patch and a straight line as a more or less curved band. Most of the trouble caused by aberrations, are inherent in the lens construction.
Lens Flare
Lens flare is the light scattered in lens systems through generally unwanted image formation mechanisms, such as internal reflection and scattering from material inhomogeneities in the lens. These mechanisms differ from the intended image formation mechanism that depends on refraction of the image rays. In good quality lenses and most images, flare is a secondary effect, widely distributed across the image and not visible, but when an image includes a very bright light source, a flare generated by a bright image region can have enough intensity to become very visible. The light produced by flares superimposes broadly across the image, adding light to dark image regions and reducing image contrast.
Lens Shade
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. It is determined by the maximum aperture of the lens in relation to its focal length. The "speed" of a lens is relative. For example, a 400 mm lens with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 is considered extremely fast, while a 28mm f/3.5 lens is thought to be relatively slow.
Li-Ion (Lithium Ion)
Lithium Ion batteries use lithium ions which move from the anode to the cathode during discharge and in reverse, from the cathode to the anode, when charging. Lithium ion batteries are common in consumer electronics. They are one of the most popular types of battery for portable electronics, with one of the best energy-to-weight ratios, no memory effect, and a slow loss of charge when not in use.
Light Meter
(See Exposure meter)
Lighting Ratio
The ratio of the brightness of light falling on the subject from the main (key) light and other (fill) lights. A ratio of about 3:1 is normal for color photography, and greater ratios may be used for effect in black & white work.
Limiting Aperture
The actual size of the aperture formed by the iris diaphragm at any setting. It determines, but usually differs from, the effective aperture.
Live View
Live view on a digital SLR (DSLR) camera lets you preview the photo you're about to take using the large LCD on the back of the camera, frame and focus the camera, to make a photograph. Live view is great option for photographers who can't frame an image with the traditional viewfinder due to site circumstances, and for macro photography in particular. The continuous image displayed on the LCD during live view mode, can help ensure the photographer is getting the composition right, when the use of the traditional view finder is unavailable.
Long-Focus
Lens of relatively long focal length designed to provide a narrower angle of view than the normal or standard lens, which generally have an angle of view, expressed on the diagonal of the film or sensor format, of about 45 degrees The long focus lens thus takes in less of the view in front of it but on an enlarged scale.
Luminance
The measurable amount of light which is emitted by or reflected from a source.
Luminosity
A measurement of brightness usually denoted in Lumens.
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Latent Image
The invisible image left by the action of light on photographic film, or paper. The light changes the photosensitive salts to varying degrees depending on the amount of light striking them. When processed, this latent image will become a visible image either in reversed tones (as in a negative) or in positive tones (as in a color slide).
LCD panel (Liquid Crystal Display)
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is an electronically-modulated optical device shaped into a thin, flat panel made up of any number of color or monochrome pixels filled with liquid crystals and arrayed in front of a light source (backlight) or reflector. It is often utilized in battery-powered electronic devices because it uses very small amounts of electric power. It is capable of displaying text and graphics.
LD
Low dispersion glass, or UD (ultra low dispersion) or SD (Super Low dispersion), refers to optically superior glass, intended to minimize the chromatic aberration of the lens
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, sensor, paper, or projection screen.
Lens Aberration
Optical flaws which are present in small amounts in all photographic lenses, made up of chromatic aberration, spherical aberration, curvature of field, distortion, etc. A perfect lens would show the image of a point as a point and a straight line as a straight line, but in practice, lenses are never perfect. They reproduce a point as a patch and a straight line as a more or less curved band. Most of the trouble caused by aberrations, are inherent in the lens construction.
Lens Flare
Lens flare is the light scattered in lens systems through generally unwanted image formation mechanisms, such as internal reflection and scattering from material inhomogeneities in the lens. These mechanisms differ from the intended image formation mechanism that depends on refraction of the image rays. In good quality lenses and most images, flare is a secondary effect, widely distributed across the image and not visible, but when an image includes a very bright light source, a flare generated by a bright image region can have enough intensity to become very visible. The light produced by flares superimposes broadly across the image, adding light to dark image regions and reducing image contrast.
Lens Shade
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. It is determined by the maximum aperture of the lens in relation to its focal length. The "speed" of a lens is relative. For example, a 400 mm lens with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 is considered extremely fast, while a 28mm f/3.5 lens is thought to be relatively slow.
Li-Ion (Lithium Ion)
Lithium Ion batteries use lithium ions which move from the anode to the cathode during discharge and in reverse, from the cathode to the anode, when charging. Lithium ion batteries are common in consumer electronics. They are one of the most popular types of battery for portable electronics, with one of the best energy-to-weight ratios, no memory effect, and a slow loss of charge when not in use.
Light Meter
(See Exposure meter)
Lighting Ratio
The ratio of the brightness of light falling on the subject from the main (key) light and other (fill) lights. A ratio of about 3:1 is normal for color photography, and greater ratios may be used for effect in black & white work.
Limiting Aperture
The actual size of the aperture formed by the iris diaphragm at any setting. It determines, but usually differs from, the effective aperture.
Live View
Live view on a digital SLR (DSLR) camera lets you preview the photo you're about to take using the large LCD on the back of the camera, frame and focus the camera, to make a photograph. Live view is great option for photographers who can't frame an image with the traditional viewfinder due to site circumstances, and for macro photography in particular. The continuous image displayed on the LCD during live view mode, can help ensure the photographer is getting the composition right, when the use of the traditional view finder is unavailable.
Long-Focus
Lens of relatively long focal length designed to provide a narrower angle of view than the normal or standard lens, which generally have an angle of view, expressed on the diagonal of the film or sensor format, of about 45 degrees The long focus lens thus takes in less of the view in front of it but on an enlarged scale.
Luminance
The measurable amount of light which is emitted by or reflected from a source.
Luminosity
A measurement of brightness usually denoted in Lumens.
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NSL Photography's™ Glossary of Photographic Terms - K
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K
Kelvin. A scale use to measure the color temperature, with 5000 K referring to normal daylight.
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K
Kelvin. A scale use to measure the color temperature, with 5000 K referring to normal daylight.
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NSL Photography's™ Glossary of Photographic Terms - J
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JCII
Japan Camera Inspection and Testing Institute. The organization in Japan to monitor export quality of Japanese made cameras.
JPEG (JPG)
In computing and digital photography, JPEG (JPG) is a commonly used method of compression for photographic images. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality. JPEG files are considered Lossy files as they loose quality each time the are edited and resaved.
JPEG compression is used in a number of image file formats. JPEG/Exif is the most common image format used by digital cameras and other photographic image capture devices It is the most common format for storing and transmitting photographic images on the World Wide Web. These format variations are often not distinguished, and are simply called JPEG.
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JCII
Japan Camera Inspection and Testing Institute. The organization in Japan to monitor export quality of Japanese made cameras.
JPEG (JPG)
In computing and digital photography, JPEG (JPG) is a commonly used method of compression for photographic images. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality. JPEG files are considered Lossy files as they loose quality each time the are edited and resaved.
JPEG compression is used in a number of image file formats. JPEG/Exif is the most common image format used by digital cameras and other photographic image capture devices It is the most common format for storing and transmitting photographic images on the World Wide Web. These format variations are often not distinguished, and are simply called JPEG.
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NSL Photography's™ Glossary of Photographic Terms - I
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Image Stabilization (Vibration Reduction)
With still cameras, camera shake is particularly problematic at slow shutter speeds or with long focal length (telephoto) lenses. Image stabilization (vibration reduction) is a mechanism used in a camera that stabilizes the recorded image by varying the optical path to the sensor. Stabilization for SLR and DSLR cameras is usually performed by the lens. Many digital point and shoot cameras also have image stabilization, but performed in the camera itself.
Image stabilization can often permit the use of shutter speeds 2–4 stops slower (exposures 4–16 times longer) than a person can normally accomplish hand holding a camera, for any particular lens/camera combination, although even slower effective speeds have been reported.
Some image stabilized lenses have an "Active Mode" intended to be used when shooting from a moving vehicle, such as a car or boat, to correct for larger shakes than the "Normal Mode."
Incident Light
Light falling on a surface as opposed to the light reflected by it.
Infinity
Infinite distance. In practice, a distance so great that any object at that distance will be reproduced sharply if the lens is set at its infinity position, one focal length from the film.
Interchangeable Lens
Lens designed to be readily attached to and detached from a camera.
Interpolation
Interpolation (sometimes called resampling) is a method to increase or decrease the number of pixels in a digital image. Some digital cameras use interpolation to produce a larger image than the sensor captured to create digital zoom. Virtually all image editing software support one or more methods of interpolation. How smoothly images are enlarged without introducing jagged edges, or lack of focus sharpness depends on the sophistication of the algorithm.
Inverted Telephoto Lens
Lens constructed so that the back focus (distance from rear of lens to film) is greater than the focal length of the lens. This construction allows room for mirror movement when short focus lenses are fitted to SLR or DSLR cameras.
IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council
The IPTC, based in London, UK, is a consortium of the world's major news agencies, news publishers and news industry vendors. It develops and maintains technical standards for improved news exchange that are used by virtually every major news organization in the world.
The standards, codes and fields of the IPTC permit photographers to describe their work in a uniform way understood by news companies and publishers across the globe and within major software used by photographers such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Microsoft Expression Media, and Photo Mechanic. It also enables photographers to properly identify themselves and their work as per the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and general US copyright law.
Use of controlled vocabulary within IPTC data fields permits keyword and terms consistency among photographers regardless of location.
Iris
Strictly, iris diaphragm the device consisting of thin overlapping metal leaves pivoting outwards to form a circular opening of variable size to control light transmission through a lens.
ISO Speed
The international standard for representing film and sensor sensitivity. The ISO speed is the emulsion speed (sensitivity) of the film or the sensitivity of the sensor 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.
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Image Stabilization (Vibration Reduction)
With still cameras, camera shake is particularly problematic at slow shutter speeds or with long focal length (telephoto) lenses. Image stabilization (vibration reduction) is a mechanism used in a camera that stabilizes the recorded image by varying the optical path to the sensor. Stabilization for SLR and DSLR cameras is usually performed by the lens. Many digital point and shoot cameras also have image stabilization, but performed in the camera itself.
Image stabilization can often permit the use of shutter speeds 2–4 stops slower (exposures 4–16 times longer) than a person can normally accomplish hand holding a camera, for any particular lens/camera combination, although even slower effective speeds have been reported.
Some image stabilized lenses have an "Active Mode" intended to be used when shooting from a moving vehicle, such as a car or boat, to correct for larger shakes than the "Normal Mode."
Incident Light
Light falling on a surface as opposed to the light reflected by it.
Infinity
Infinite distance. In practice, a distance so great that any object at that distance will be reproduced sharply if the lens is set at its infinity position, one focal length from the film.
Interchangeable Lens
Lens designed to be readily attached to and detached from a camera.
Interpolation
Interpolation (sometimes called resampling) is a method to increase or decrease the number of pixels in a digital image. Some digital cameras use interpolation to produce a larger image than the sensor captured to create digital zoom. Virtually all image editing software support one or more methods of interpolation. How smoothly images are enlarged without introducing jagged edges, or lack of focus sharpness depends on the sophistication of the algorithm.
Inverted Telephoto Lens
Lens constructed so that the back focus (distance from rear of lens to film) is greater than the focal length of the lens. This construction allows room for mirror movement when short focus lenses are fitted to SLR or DSLR cameras.
IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council
The IPTC, based in London, UK, is a consortium of the world's major news agencies, news publishers and news industry vendors. It develops and maintains technical standards for improved news exchange that are used by virtually every major news organization in the world.
The standards, codes and fields of the IPTC permit photographers to describe their work in a uniform way understood by news companies and publishers across the globe and within major software used by photographers such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Microsoft Expression Media, and Photo Mechanic. It also enables photographers to properly identify themselves and their work as per the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and general US copyright law.
Use of controlled vocabulary within IPTC data fields permits keyword and terms consistency among photographers regardless of location.
Iris
Strictly, iris diaphragm the device consisting of thin overlapping metal leaves pivoting outwards to form a circular opening of variable size to control light transmission through a lens.
ISO Speed
The international standard for representing film and sensor sensitivity. The ISO speed is the emulsion speed (sensitivity) of the film or the sensitivity of the sensor 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.
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NSL Photography's™ Glossary of Photographic Terms - H
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HDR (High Dynamic Range Imaging)
In image processing, and digital photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of luminances between light and dark areas of a scene than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDRI is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to shadows. The technique is used when the range of exposure of an image is beyond the capability of the camera's sensor to record it in a single image.
High Contrast
A wide range of density in a print, image or negative.
Highlights
Small, very bright part of image or object. Highlights should generally be pure white, although the term is sometimes used to describe the lightest tones of a picture, which, in that case, may need to contain some detail.
Histogram
A graphic representation of the range of tones from dark to light in a photograph. Many digital cameras, especially DSLRs, include a histogram feature which displays the histogram on the screen of the camera which enables the photographer to check on the exposure of the photo immediately after it is taken.
Hot Shoe
Usually attachment socket and holder above the viewfinder of an SLR or DSLR (but some were designed around the film rewind knob of film cameras). It has an electrical contacts which mate with contacts in the mounting foot of flash units which are inserted in the hot shoe. This allows the camera to fire the flash at the proper time without any other electrical connections between flash and camera.
Handle Mount flash
Also often referred as bracket flash. It comprised of one arm of the L-shaped bracket extends under the camera body and uses the camera's tripod socket to mount the camera on the bracket. The vertical arm of the bracket serves as a handle and mounts a flash unit in an accessory shoe often on top of the handle portion, but there are other methods. Flash mounted in a bracket usually requires a separate electrical cord to make the electrical connection between camera body and flash unit.
Hunting
When an auto-focus system has trouble finding the focus in a low contrast image or in poor light, the lens moves continuously from close-up to infinity looking for the correct point of focus.
Hyperfocal Distance
Distance of the nearest object in a scene that is acceptably sharp when the lens is focused on infinity.
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HDR (High Dynamic Range Imaging)
In image processing, and digital photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of luminances between light and dark areas of a scene than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDRI is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to shadows. The technique is used when the range of exposure of an image is beyond the capability of the camera's sensor to record it in a single image.
High Contrast
A wide range of density in a print, image or negative.
Highlights
Small, very bright part of image or object. Highlights should generally be pure white, although the term is sometimes used to describe the lightest tones of a picture, which, in that case, may need to contain some detail.
Histogram
A graphic representation of the range of tones from dark to light in a photograph. Many digital cameras, especially DSLRs, include a histogram feature which displays the histogram on the screen of the camera which enables the photographer to check on the exposure of the photo immediately after it is taken.
Hot Shoe
Usually attachment socket and holder above the viewfinder of an SLR or DSLR (but some were designed around the film rewind knob of film cameras). It has an electrical contacts which mate with contacts in the mounting foot of flash units which are inserted in the hot shoe. This allows the camera to fire the flash at the proper time without any other electrical connections between flash and camera.
Handle Mount flash
Also often referred as bracket flash. It comprised of one arm of the L-shaped bracket extends under the camera body and uses the camera's tripod socket to mount the camera on the bracket. The vertical arm of the bracket serves as a handle and mounts a flash unit in an accessory shoe often on top of the handle portion, but there are other methods. Flash mounted in a bracket usually requires a separate electrical cord to make the electrical connection between camera body and flash unit.
Hunting
When an auto-focus system has trouble finding the focus in a low contrast image or in poor light, the lens moves continuously from close-up to infinity looking for the correct point of focus.
Hyperfocal Distance
Distance of the nearest object in a scene that is acceptably sharp when the lens is focused on infinity.
If you have any suggested additions or corrections to the Glossary, please contact us.
NSL Photography's™ Glossary of Photographic Terms - G
Choose your Glossary page by letter:
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Ghost Images
Bright spots of light, often taking the shape of the aperture, which appear in the camera viewfinder or in the final photograph when a lens is pointed at a bright light like the sun. It is controllable through the use of multilayer coating of the lens elements.
GN (Guide number)
flash~to~subject~distance=guide~number/f-stop @ iso, or
f-stop=guide~number/flash~to~subject~distance @iso
The guide number is used to express the power output of the flash unit. It indicates the power of a flash in relation to ISO film speed. Guide numbers are quoted in either meters or feet. Guide numbers are used to calculate the f/stop for correct exposure as follows: Number calculated by multiplying proper flash exposure aperture by the subject distance.
Golden Hours
The “golden hours” are the times of day just after dawn and just before sunset. The name derives from the reddish-golden tones the sun colors everything during those times. The effect is due to the sun's position near the horizon. As a result the sunlight travels through more of the atmosphere, reducing its intensity, and increasing the effect of the illumination which comes from the sky. Shadows are long and pronounced during this time.
Grain
Minute metallic silver deposit, forming in quantity the photographic image. The individual grain is never visible, even in an enlargement, but the random nature of their distribution in the emulsion causes over-lapping, or clumping, which can lead to graininess in the final image.
Graininess
The sand-like or granular appearance of a negative, print, or slide. Graininess becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of enlargement. The digital image equivalent of graininess is noise.
Grey Card (18% Grey Card)
Tone used as representative of mid-tone of average subject. The standard grey card reflects 18 per cent of the light falling on it.
If you have any suggested additions or corrections to the Glossary, please contact us.
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Ghost Images
Bright spots of light, often taking the shape of the aperture, which appear in the camera viewfinder or in the final photograph when a lens is pointed at a bright light like the sun. It is controllable through the use of multilayer coating of the lens elements.
GN (Guide number)
flash~to~subject~distance=guide~number/f-stop @ iso, or
f-stop=guide~number/flash~to~subject~distance @iso
The guide number is used to express the power output of the flash unit. It indicates the power of a flash in relation to ISO film speed. Guide numbers are quoted in either meters or feet. Guide numbers are used to calculate the f/stop for correct exposure as follows: Number calculated by multiplying proper flash exposure aperture by the subject distance.
Golden Hours
The “golden hours” are the times of day just after dawn and just before sunset. The name derives from the reddish-golden tones the sun colors everything during those times. The effect is due to the sun's position near the horizon. As a result the sunlight travels through more of the atmosphere, reducing its intensity, and increasing the effect of the illumination which comes from the sky. Shadows are long and pronounced during this time.
Grain
Minute metallic silver deposit, forming in quantity the photographic image. The individual grain is never visible, even in an enlargement, but the random nature of their distribution in the emulsion causes over-lapping, or clumping, which can lead to graininess in the final image.
Graininess
The sand-like or granular appearance of a negative, print, or slide. Graininess becomes more pronounced with faster film and the degree of enlargement. The digital image equivalent of graininess is noise.
Grey Card (18% Grey Card)
Tone used as representative of mid-tone of average subject. The standard grey card reflects 18 per cent of the light falling on it.
If you have any suggested additions or corrections to the Glossary, please contact us.
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