Aperture The opening in a lens through which light passes to expose the film. Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-numbers, the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening, therefore the slower the shutter must be!
B ("Bulb") Shutter setting on which the shutter will stay open as long as the release is depressed. Used for exposures longer than the numbered shutter speed settings.
Close-up lens A lens attachment used in front of the camera lens; pictures then could be taken at a closer distance than normal.
Contact printer Apparatus used for making contact prints
Depth of field The distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens aperture, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the subject.
Developing Tank A light tight container used for processing film.
Dev. (Developer) A Chemical bath which converts exposed silver halides to black metallic silver, so making the latent image on exposed films or photographicpapers visible.
Filters A piece of glass or other transparent material used over the lens which alters the nature, colour or quality of the light passing through it.
Shutter Blades that controls the time during which light reaches the film.
SLR (Single Lens Reflex) A Camera in which the photographer views the scene through the same lens that takes the picture thanks to a system of mirrors and prisms.
Negative Developed film that contains a reversed image of the original scene. Light shone through the transparent negative will make a positive (normal) print on photographic paper.
Negative carrier Negative holder used in an enlarger. It may be adjustable for different formats and is designed to exclude unwanted light from the edges of the negative.
Agitation Keeping a chemical moving: Agitation helps to speed-up and achieve an even development while processing film or paper. It also prevents spotting or staining by keeping the developer, stop bath, or fixer in motion.
Ambient Light The available light. Already existing in an indoor or outdoor setting which is not caused by any illumination created by the photographer.
Bounce Flash or tungsten light bounced off a reflector (such as the ceiling, walls or brolly) to give the effect of natural light.
Bracketing The technique of taking a number of pictures of the same subject at different levels of exposure. At half and one stop differences, depending on subject.
Burning-in (or Burn-in) To make an area of a print darker. This is accomplished after the basic exposure by extending the exposure time (or opening the aperture) to allow extra image-forming light to darken areas of the print while holding back the light from the rest of the image (with hands or card etc.); also called printing in.
Cable release Flexible cable for firing a camera shutter. Useful for long exposures where touching the camera release by hand could cause camera-shake blur.
Circle of confusion Disc of light in the image where a point on the subject is not perfectly brought into focus. The eye cannot distinguish between a very small circle of confusion and a true point.
Condenser A simple lens system which concentrates light from a source into a beam. Condensers are used in equipment such as slide projectors, spotlights and enlargers.
Contrasty Higher-than-normal contrast including very bright and very dark areas. The range of density in a print is higher than it was in the original scene.
Cropping Printing or using only part of the image that is in the original negative, usually for a more pleasing composition.
Daylight tank A light-tight container for film processing. Film is loaded in the dark after which all other processing steps can be carried out in normal light.
Diffuser Any material capable of letting light scatter (diffuse) through it.
Dodging 'Local' control of density in photographic printing achieved by shading (using your hands, small pieces of card or various other dodging tools), therefore, holding back the image-forming light from a part of the photo to make that area of the print lighter.
Dodging 'Local' control of density in photographic printing achieved by shading (using your hands, small pieces of card or various other dodging tools), therefore, holding back the image-forming light from a part of the photo to make that area of the print lighter.
Emulsion The light-sensitive material (which is suspended in micro-thin layers of gelatin) that is coated onto different bases to make photographic film, or paper.
Enlargement A print larger than the negative used to produce it (blow up).
Exposure The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; the lens aperture controls intensity or amount of light, and the shutter speed (or the enlarger timer in printing) controls the time.
f - Stop A number that indicates the size of the lens opening. The common f-numbers on 35mm cameras are f1.4, f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, and f22. The larger the f-number, the smaller the lens opening, f22 is the smallest in this series. Also called the aperture, they work in conjunction with shutter speeds to indicate exposure settings.
Film Speed The sensitivity of a film to light, indicated by a number such as ISO 100. The higher the number, the more sensitive or faster the film. (ISO stands for International Standards Organization.)
Fix Chemical process which converts unused light-sensitive silver-halide crystals to a soluble silver complex in both negatives and prints, making the image stable and unalterable in white light.
Grain The sand-like, granular appearance of a negative, print or trannie. Graininess becomes more noticeable with fast films and increased size of enlargement.
High key Term describing a photograph which contains large areas of light tones, with few mid-tones or shadows.
Highlights The brightest areas of the subject or photograph.
Infinity Focusing point at which the lens gives a sharp image of very distant objects, such as the far horizon.
Latent image The invisible image left by the action of light on photographic film or paper. The light changes the photosensitive salts and when processed, this latent image will become a visible image.
Low key Term describing a photograph in which the tones are mostly dark and there are few highlights.
Manipulate To change a photograph either by a computer program, optical processes or by skilled hand.
Meter An instrument with a light-sensitive cell that measures the light reflected from or falling onto a subject. Some types can also measure Flash light.
Multigrade Photographic B&W paper that provides all the different grades of contrast from one box. Invented by Ilford in the 1950's, but versions are now manufactured by all the major makers.
Over exposed A situation in which too much light reaches the film or sensor and produces a dense negative or a very light positive image.
Pinhole Camera A camera without a lens, just a light tight box with a small hole at one end.
Reciprocity Most films are designed to be exposed within a certain range of exposure times. When an exposure time falls outside of this range a film's characteristics may change. Loss of effective film speed, contrast changes, and colour shifts are the common results. This is called reciprocity effect.
Resin-coated paper (RC) Printing paper with a water-repellent base. RC papers can be processed faster; requires less washing, and dry far more quickly than fibre-based papers.
Resin-coated paper (RC) Printing paper with a water-repellent base. RC papers can be processed faster; requires less washing, and dry far more quickly than fibre-based papers.
Saturation A characteristic of the observation of colour. Saturated colours are called vivid, strong, or deep. De-saturated colours are called dull, weak, or washed out.
Slave A photo-electric cell which fires additional flash units simultaneously when it is activated by the light from another flash source set by the camera.
Stop down Changing the lens aperture to a smaller opening; for example, from f4 to f5.6. This increases depth of field.
Test strip Method of calculating exposure in photographic printing. A range of exposures are given to a strip of paper, from part of the image, this helps judge the correct exposure for the final print.
Tone Cold tones (bluish) and warm tones (reddish) refer to the colour of the image in both black-and-white and colour photographs.
Under exposed A condition in which too little light reaches the film or sensor, producing a thin negative, a dark positive image or a muddy-looking print.
Wide open Setting the lens aperture to its largest possible opening; for example 24-70mm f2.8 zoom opens to a maximum of f2.8. 'Wide open' creates a shallow depth of field.
White Balance Depending on the lighting conditions, a pure white in a photograph may appear slightly yellow or blue. The white balance control settings on a "Digital Camera" will help to eliminate unwanted colour bias by actually controlling the camera's colour temperature response. C.C. filters or a specially balanced film must be used when a film camera is utilized under the same lighting conditions!
Specific “Darkroom Practice” Terminology
Aperture -The opening in a lens through which light passes to expose the film.
Exposure -The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; the lens aperture controls intensity or amount of light, and the shutter speed (or the enlarger timer in printing) controls the time.
Shutter -Blades that controls the time during which light reaches the film.
Temperature - is a numerical measure of hot or cold.
Agitate - Keep a chemical moving.
Developer - A Chemical bath which converts exposed silver halides to black metallic silver, so making the latent image on exposed films or photographic papers visible.
Fix -Chemical process which converts unused light-sensitive silver-halide crystals to a soluble silver complex in both negatives and prints, making the image stable and permanent.
Developing tank – Hold the film and spirals for developing.
Spiral – Holds the film for developing.
Latent - Exposed but still invisible image, not yet developed.
Analyse – to examine in detail.
Contact frame – holds the negatives to make a contact sheet.
Enlarger –machine to produce and enlargement of a negative.
Photographic paper - Is coated with a light-sensitive chemical formula, used for making photographic prints.
Focus finder – Used in the darkroom to find the grain on the image.
Timer - used to calculate the exposure of photographic paper
Printing (masking) frame – holds the paper flat during exposure under the enlarger.
Chemicals – Developer and fix
Composition -Arrangement of visual elements.
Focal point - The most important, interesting part of something.
Contrast –The difference between extremes of lighting /the difference between the color or shading of the printed material and the background on which it is printed.
Reciprocal relationship - In photography a reciprocal value is used to explain the F/stop to Shutter Speed relationship.
Depth of field – Distance between nearest and furthest parts of a subject which can be imaged in acceptable sharp focus at one setting of the lens.
Shutter speed - the length of time a camera's shutter is open when taking a photograph.
Emulsion –The coating on film or paper. A mix of light-sensitive silver halides.
Enlargement - A print larger than the negative used to produce it (blow up).
Test strip -Method of calculating exposure in photographic printing. A range of exposures are given to a strip of paper, from part of the image, this helps judge the correct exposure for the final print.
Under exposed - A condition in which too little light reaches the film or sensor, producing a thin negative, a dark positive image or a muddy-looking print.
Over exposed - A situation in which too much light reaches the film or sensor and produces a dense negative or a very light positive image.