One of the most confusing things about photography for amateurs and beginners is the abundance of technical terms. Read on for more explanations of some of the most common and useful terms.
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.
Unless it is an SLR, your camera will have a range of available f-stops, for example f/2.8-f/8. This means that the widest the aperture can open is f/2.8 and the narrowest, f/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
A cameras shutter sits just in front of the image sensor. It is normally closed so that no light is getting through to the sensor, but when you press the button, it opens for a certain length of time to expose 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
The term 'exposure' refers to exposing the sensor or film to light in order to take a photograph. In addition, a photograph is referred to as an 'exposure' for this reason.
When a photograph is taken, how much light is exposed to the sensor is determined by the shutter speed settings and the aperture. For darker photos, a larger aperture setting and slower shutter speed may be needed or utilizing both.
The term 'correct exposure' refers to the approximation of what a photographer actually saw with his/her naked eye at the time the photo was taken. This is purely a matter of a taste. However, it is entirely possible to take a photo at night or in the dark with such long shutter speed that it actually appears as if it was taken in the daylight.
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.
Unless it is an SLR, your camera will have a range of available f-stops, for example f/2.8-f/8. This means that the widest the aperture can open is f/2.8 and the narrowest, f/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
A cameras shutter sits just in front of the image sensor. It is normally closed so that no light is getting through to the sensor, but when you press the button, it opens for a certain length of time to expose 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
The term 'exposure' refers to exposing the sensor or film to light in order to take a photograph. In addition, a photograph is referred to as an 'exposure' for this reason.
When a photograph is taken, how much light is exposed to the sensor is determined by the shutter speed settings and the aperture. For darker photos, a larger aperture setting and slower shutter speed may be needed or utilizing both.
The term 'correct exposure' refers to the approximation of what a photographer actually saw with his/her naked eye at the time the photo was taken. This is purely a matter of a taste. However, it is entirely possible to take a photo at night or in the dark with such long shutter speed that it actually appears as if it was taken in the daylight.
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 tutorials and How to Take Black White Photographs.
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