Photographic Terms

Use the list below to help you understand some of the terms you may come across in your photography course.

• Aperture : Size of the lens opening through which light passes.
• Cassette : Light tight container for 35mm camera film.
• Contact printing : Printing with light using negatives in direct contact with light sensitive paper.
• Contrast : The difference (ratio) between the darkest and brightest parts.
• Cropping : Cutting out unwanted parts at the edges of a picture.
• Depth of field : Distance between nearest and farthest parts of the subject sharply imaged at the same time.
• Developer : Chemicals able to convert the latent image on exposed photographic material into visible form.
• Enlarger : Optical projector which gives enlarged images.
• Film speed : Measure of sensitivity of film to light. Usually expressed in an ISO figure.
• Fixing solution : Chemical used to stop film and papers being light sensitive.
• Focusing : Changing the lens to image distance until a sharp image is formed.
• Fog : Allow light to reach light sensitive material.
• Glossy paper : Photographic paper which can give prints with a shiny, glossy surface.
• ISO : International Standards Organisation. Film speed.
• Masking frame : Flat board with flaps to hold paper flat during exposure.
• Montage : An image constructed of several different images.
• Negative image : Image in which blacks, whites and tones are reversed.
• SLR camera : Single lens reflex camera. Uses a viewfinder system with a mirror and focussing screen.
• Shutter : Controls the time the light is allowed to act on a film.
• Stop bath : Stage in processing which arrests the previous solution.
• Test strip : A series of test exposures on a piece of printing paper.
• Viewpoint : The position from which the camera and photographer view the subject.
• Wetting agent : Chemical used in final wash of the film.