Glossary
- ambient light
General diffuse non-directional lighting. Term used in contrast to reflected light and added light sources.
- aperture
The lens opening used to create an exposure, indicated by f-stops.
- Aperture-Preferred
In Aperture-Preferred exposure mode, you set the camera's lens aperture, and the corresponding shutter speed is automatically selected. See also Shutter-Preferred
- autofocus
When you use autofocus, the camera determines the correct way to focus the camera lens. See also locking focus and focus tracking.
- automatic exposure
When you use automatic exposure mode, the camera's computer determines all aspects of exposure settings.
- available light
Light that is naturally available in a photographic situation.
- backlighting
Lighting from behind. Backlighting comes from behind the subject and toward the camera. Backlighting can be used to create silhouettes or reveal the texture of illuminated subjects such as flowers.
- bad pixels
Pixels that are an erroneous representation of an image, usually white, cyan, magenta, or yellow. Too many bad pixels cause image degradation. See also hot pixels and stuck pixels.
- bayonet mount
The twist and screw mechanism used for changing lenses on interchangeable-lens SLRs.
- blog
A blog, also called a weblog, or Web log, is a diary posted on the Web, with entries listed in reverse chronological order (the most recent first).
- bracketing
The photographic technique of taking a variety of exposures, letting in less and more light around a given exposure, usually ...