Many beginners and amateurs of photography become quickly frustrated by the numerous amount of technical terminology used in the craft. But all is not lost, listed below are a few common terms that I have defined in an easy to understand language.
Aperture
All cameras have a diaphragm inside them that can change size to admit more or less light. This is very similar to how the human eye works " a circular opening that changes size depending on light levels.
Nomenclature is the most confusing part for beginning photographers. Essentially, this is quoted in what is commonly referred to as 'stops'. If there is a smaller f-stop number such as f/1.8, there will be a wider opening from the aperture. However, if there is a larger number such as f/22, there will only be a tiny opening from the aperture.
Your camera will have a large range of f-stops unless it is an SLR camera. For example a range of f/2.8 to f/8 means the widest the aperture of the camera can open is 2.8 and the narrowest it can open is 8.
Sensor
At the moment you press the button to take a photo, a light sensitive sensor records the light present. This is the function in a digital camera which is the same in as film in an older camera. This sensor is hidden behind the shutter (see below) and records light when a photo is taken and stored on a memory card.
Shutter Speed
The shutter on a camera sits just in front of the image sensor. The shutter is normally closed until the button is pressed to take a photo. Once the button is pressed, the shutter opens for a specific length of time, exposing the sensor to light.
In most cases, the shutter of a camera is made up of two curtains. When using fast shutter speed, the first curtain opens only a tiny gap between it and the second curtain, and travels across the sensor with the second curtain following close behind. When longer exposures are being taken, the whole sensor might be exposed for a period of time before the second curtain closes it.
Shutter speeds are expressed in whole and fractions of seconds. A shutter speed of 1/640, for example, means that the sensor will be exposed for only a one-six-hundred-and-fortieth of a second.
Exposure
Exposure is so named because it refers to exposing the sensor or film to light in order to take a photograph. An exposure is also another name for a photograph for this reason.
As a photograph is taken, how much light reaches the light-sensitive sensor is determined by aperture and shutter speed. If a darker photo is desired, a slower shutter speed and larger aperture or combination of both may be required for a quality photograph.
A correct exposure is one that approximates what could be seen by the photographer with the naked eye at the time the photo was taken, but this is ultimately a matter of taste. It is possible, for example, to take photos at night with shutter speeds so long that the resulting photos look as if they were taken in broad daylight. - 30452
Aperture
All cameras have a diaphragm inside them that can change size to admit more or less light. This is very similar to how the human eye works " a circular opening that changes size depending on light levels.
Nomenclature is the most confusing part for beginning photographers. Essentially, this is quoted in what is commonly referred to as 'stops'. If there is a smaller f-stop number such as f/1.8, there will be a wider opening from the aperture. However, if there is a larger number such as f/22, there will only be a tiny opening from the aperture.
Your camera will have a large range of f-stops unless it is an SLR camera. For example a range of f/2.8 to f/8 means the widest the aperture of the camera can open is 2.8 and the narrowest it can open is 8.
Sensor
At the moment you press the button to take a photo, a light sensitive sensor records the light present. This is the function in a digital camera which is the same in as film in an older camera. This sensor is hidden behind the shutter (see below) and records light when a photo is taken and stored on a memory card.
Shutter Speed
The shutter on a camera sits just in front of the image sensor. The shutter is normally closed until the button is pressed to take a photo. Once the button is pressed, the shutter opens for a specific length of time, exposing the sensor to light.
In most cases, the shutter of a camera is made up of two curtains. When using fast shutter speed, the first curtain opens only a tiny gap between it and the second curtain, and travels across the sensor with the second curtain following close behind. When longer exposures are being taken, the whole sensor might be exposed for a period of time before the second curtain closes it.
Shutter speeds are expressed in whole and fractions of seconds. A shutter speed of 1/640, for example, means that the sensor will be exposed for only a one-six-hundred-and-fortieth of a second.
Exposure
Exposure is so named because it refers to exposing the sensor or film to light in order to take a photograph. An exposure is also another name for a photograph for this reason.
As a photograph is taken, how much light reaches the light-sensitive sensor is determined by aperture and shutter speed. If a darker photo is desired, a slower shutter speed and larger aperture or combination of both may be required for a quality photograph.
A correct exposure is one that approximates what could be seen by the photographer with the naked eye at the time the photo was taken, but this is ultimately a matter of taste. It is possible, for example, to take photos at night with shutter speeds so long that the resulting photos look as if they were taken in broad daylight. - 30452
About the Author:
Tobias Sterling has been in love with photography for many years. He loves to write and share his knowledge with fellow enthusiast on Clivir.com where you can find his lessons including Beginners Photography Basics and How to Take Black White Photographs.
