Specialist Vocabulary
Agitation
Aperture Artificial Light Automatic Exposure Automatic Focusing Abstract Advertising Artefact Ancient Asymmetrical Aesthetic Aesthetics Avant-Garde Box Camera B-Setting Bleaching Blur Burning In Blending Cable Release Calotype Process Camera Obscura Camera Shake Combination Printing Complimentary Colours Composition Condenser Chiaroscuro Collage Concept Capriccio Caricature Context Culture Contemporary Daguerre, Louis J.M. (1787-1851) Daguerreotype Process Darkroom Depth of Field Developer Diaphragm Diffuser Dodging Design Depict Distortion Eastman, George (1854-1932) Emulsion Enlargement Exposure Extension Tubes Eclectic Exaggerate Film Film Speed Filters Fish-eye Lens Fixer Flash F (Stop) Number Focusing Fox-Talbot, William H. Fog Figurative Art Focal Point Fragmentation Functionalism Gradation Grade Graininess Glossy Paper Grey Scale Golden Section Graphic Design Grotesque Genre Ghost Photograph Highlights Hue Infra Red Image Infinity Inverse Square Law Installation Illusion Icon Juxtaposition Lamp Lens Lumen Light Landscape Macro Photography Macro Lens Magnification Masking Miniature/Micro Mirror Lens Montage (Photo) Mosaic (Photo) Multigrade Paper Monochrome Mixed Media Motif Masterpiece Modern Negative Negative Carrier Narrative Naturalism Opacity Overdevelopment Overexposure Optical Pastiche Panning Panoramic Camera Pentaprism Permanence Perspective Photogram Photographs Photography Pinhole Camera Polarized Light Polaroid Camera Primary Colours Prism Projector Photorealism Primary Source Personal Response Plasticity Portrait Proportion Portray Photomontage Printmaking Pattern Quantum Quintessential Quixotic Reciprocity Law Reflection Retouching Rinse Red Eye Reflex Camera Refraction Reticulation Reversal Sabatier Effect Safelight Shutter Slide Soft Focus Spectrum Spotlight Stereo Photography Stop Bath Stopping Down Secondary Colours Strobe Light Sub miniature Camera Saturation Shade Shading Sepia Sgraffito Sfumato Screen Printing Subject Matter Still Life Scale Structure Surreal Silhouette Sublime Secondary Source Test Strip Texture Tone Toners TTL Telephoto Lenses Tripod Tertiary Colours Tint Two-dimensional Three-dimensional Technique Thumbnail Sketch Tenebrism Tactile Trompe L’oeil Underdevelopment Variable Contrast Paper Viewfinder Vignetting Vedutta Washing Wide-angle Lens Zoom Lens |
Bringing fresh solution into contact with the print/film by moving the corresponding liquid in the tray/tank; particularly important in the developing stage.
Circular hole in front of the camera/enlarger lens which controls the amount of light allowed to pass onto the film/print. Term used to describe any light source used in photography other than that from natural sources (usually the sun). System that automatically selects correct exposure by linking the camera’s exposure meter with the shutter or aperture (or both). You will have more control when using your camera on the manual setting; you will also understand capturing light in a much better fashion as a result. Camera system that automatically brings the lens into sharp focus on the subject. Be aware that automatic settings can be fooled. Not realistic. Usually concerned with an idea, maybe based on an actual subject, place or feeling. The promotion of a product, idea or belief. Something made with skill by someone. Art from a very long time ago. A composition that is not balanced in an identical manner from one side or the image to the other. Pleasing to the eye. Branch of philosophy which is concerned with making judgements about what art is and the nature of beauty. Art which departs from the norm or is experimental. An artist who is a pioneer or who has an innovative approach. Simplest type of camera manufactured & first introduced by George Eastman in 1888. It consists of a simple, single lens element, a light-tight box & a place for the film. Letter used on the shutter speed setting ring, indicating that the shutter will stay open while its release is depressed. Converts the photographic image into a ‘colourless’ element; this can then be changed into a chosen dye. This is the first step in the toning process. Unsharp image caused by a moving object, camera shake, unclear focusing or a lens defect. Often unintentional & undesirable but can be used as a creative effect. Technique used in printing photographs when a small area of the print requires more exposure than the rest. The fading of one colour/tone into another to create a gradual transition. Flexible cable used for firing a camera shutter. Useful during long exposures to minimize the incidence of camera shake. The name calotype came from the Greek ‘kalos’, meaning beautiful. Henry Fox Talbot creates permanent (negative) images using paper soaked in silver chloride and fixed with a salt solution, the CALOTYPE. He then creates positive images by contact printing onto another sheet of paper. The process introduced two important advances – the use of the developer and the exploitation of the latent image. Origin of the present day camera. Consists of a darkened room with a small hole on one wall and the projected (inverted) image on the other. First mentioned by Aristotle in the 4th Century and developed through the centuries as a drawing aid. Accidental movement of the camera during exposure, resulting in the overall blurring of the photographic image. Can be used creatively, depending on control and intention. The printing of more than one negative onto a single sheet of paper to achieve a particular effect. Colours that are opposite to each other on the colour wheel. The way that you arrange various shapes, contents and other elements in a photograph or image into a particular design. Lens used in an enlarger to concentrate light from the lamp source and focus it on the negative. The dramatic use of light and shade to create atmosphere and depth. From the French word ‘coller’ (to stick). A 2-D technique involving sticking down paper, fabric or other materials to create or add to an artwork. An idea. Painting/Photography based on fantasy. In landscape painting it refers to the mixing of real and fictional elements. Image showing a person in a distorted way usually for satirical purposes. The environment an artwork/photograph is seen in or the background information about an artwork/photograph – the time it was made, where, who made it etc. Community and traditions. An artwork of ‘our’ time. Introduced the ‘daguerreotype’, the first commercial photographic process (with the help of Nicéphore Niépce) in Paris on August 19th 1839. Positive photographic image produced by a single camera exposure on a copper metal base & mercury ‘development’. Sensitive material comprised of silver nitrate & permanence was achieved by immersing the plate in a solution of sodium chloride. Its uniqueness and quality was eventually superseded by much cheaper processes such as the calotype & ambrotype. Light-tight room used for processing or printing, incorporating safelights suitable for the materials used. The distance between the nearest point and the farthest point in the subject which is perceived to be acceptably sharp. Chemical bath which converts the exposed film/print to a visible state. Term used to describe the adjustable aperture of the lens, controlling the amount of light passing into the camera. Any material that can scatter or diffuse light, softening the character of the light. The closer it is to the light source, the less it scatters the light. Control of exposure in photographic printing, achieved by reducing exposure to specific areas of the paper. A drawing which shows how something is to be made or the general form or arrangement of something. To show in the form of a picture. Alteration of normal shape or proportions within a photographic image, whether accidental or intentional (for expressive purposes). American manufacturer who offered photography to the masses by introducing the Kodak ‘box’ camera (1888). Light sensitive material which is coated onto photographic plates, films & papers. Term used to describe a print larger than the negative used to produce it. The intensity of light and the time that is allowed to act upon a light sensitive material. Tubes used to extend the lens-film distance, enabling magnification. Borrowed & mixed ideas, tastes and styles; from various sources. Enlarge or alter beyond normal proportions. Sensitized material in the form of an emulsion coating a flexible base, usually cellulose acetate or plastic. Degree of sensitivity or ‘speed’ of an emulsion expressed numerically e.g. ISO or ASA 400. Shaped disks of material that modifies the light passing through them; used to correct or alter the appearance of the final photograph (either in the camera or in the enlarger). Extreme wide angle lens. It produces highly distorted images. Chemical bath which makes the image stable in light. Artificial light source giving brief but very bright illumination. Number on the lens barrel indicating the size of the aperture relative to the focal length. Each change of number indicates a doubling or halving of the size of the aperture. System of moving the lens to obtain the required degree of sharpness. Englishman who invented the first usable negative/positive photographic process called the ‘calotype’. The process was not seriously marketed until 1841. A ‘veil’ produced on a negative or print that is not part of the photographic image. Used to describe artwork that shows the figure or parts of it. What the ‘piece’ is trying to guide your eyes to. Usually the composition is designed so that your eye is lead to a particular point. Where the image is broken up into pieces. Styles in which the form of an object is inseparable from its function. An object is beautiful if it serves its purpose. Tonal contrast range of an image, e.g. soft, normal etc. Classification of paper contrast; ranging from 0 to 5 (soft to hard) Clumps of grains in the emulsion which are visible in the photographic image. Printing paper with a smooth and shiny surface; giving deep blacks, bright highlights and clear detail & therefore used in technical photographs and reproductions. Series of grey tones arranged on a print or transparency in decreasing or increasing depth of tone; used as a standard against which measurements can be made. The use of a mathematical proportion of approximately 5:8 in a composition or building. The ratio was invested with an almost mystical significance by some renaissance theorists. The communication of ideas and information by visual means, usually commercial in nature e.g. adverts, product labels etc. Fanciful decoration using monsters and hybrid figures combining human, animal and vegetable elements. Now used to describe all sorts of distortions and exaggerations. A class or category of artistic endeavour having a particular form, content or technique. Use of two negatives on one print, one introducing a figure which appears as a translucent ghostly presence. The brightest areas of the subject/ print/ negative/ painting/ drawing etc. The property of a colour that distinguishes each one from another; the yellowness, the blueness or redness of a particular colour. Electromagnetic rays invisible to the human eye. Discovered by Sir William Hershel (1738-1822), who also devised a method of recording and capturing them. Optical representation of an object or subject formed by rays of light reflected or refracted from it. A point which is immeasurably distant. The distance from the camera beyond which the sharpness of the image being focused can no longer be affected. Mathematical formula used to calculate the increase and decrease of light intensity falling on a surface as the distance between the surface and the light source changes. (If the distance is reduced three times the intensity of light is increased nine times). Artwork that is installed in an entire room and uses a range of materials. Deception, delusion or a misapprehension, faulty perception of scale, perspective etc. Usually an artwork containing a holy figure (or a person that has been imbued with power or significance). The placement of things next to each other. General term used to describe the artificial light sources used in photography. Optical element made of glass or plastic; capable of bending light. Unit of light intensity falling onto a surface. Visible radiated energy which forms part of the electromagnetic wavelength; the spectrum goes from violet to dark red. An image of a view of nature. Also refers to the proportions of a piece of paper when the width is longer than the height. Term used to describe close-up photography. Term used to describe any close-focusing lens. Size of the image relative to the size of the subject used to produce it. It also refers to the ratio of print size to negative size, i.e. enlargement. Term used to describe the different ways in which light is prevented from reaching selected areas of an image for various purposes. Refers to something small; microphotographs, miniature camera. A lens system which uses mirrors within its internal construction. Composite picture made from several different photographic images cut out and mounted on a single piece of paper or other support. From the French ‘monter’ meaning to fix objects onto something. Type of montage consisting of an assembly of separate photographs making a continuous image. Ilford trade name for a type of variable contrast paper, used to print negatives of varying degrees of contrast by means of changing filters in the enlarger. A work done in black and white only or confined to a range of tones in one colour. Using several different drawing tools or materials in the same piece. Usually refers to a repeated visual element or combination of elements found in a pattern or composition. Can also refer to the dominant theme or idea in an artwork. Usually applied to an artwork which is considered to be outstanding and the best of its kind. Modern art refers to art made in the 20th Century. Photographic image produced in which tones are reversed so the highlights appear dark and the shadows appear light. Supports the negative between the light source and the enlarger lens of the enlarger. How a story is being conveyed. Approach based on minute observation and imitation of the natural world. Light-stopping attribute of a material. The greater the opacity, the more light it will stop. Caused by prolonged development, developer may be too warm or the solution too strong; results in prints that are too dark and have a strong contrast or negatives that are too dark that would result in prints that are too light with little exposure.. Photographic material has been exposed to light for too long. Relating to sight, to the eye or to optics (lenses, telescopes, microscopes etc). An imitation of someone else’s style. Not a copy but your own response to another artist’s work. The action of swinging the camera to follow a moving object. Camera which produces a long ‘landscape’ view on a long strip of film. Five-sided prism used as part of an SLR’s viewing system, giving an upright image in the camera’s viewfinder. Ability of a photographic image to resist fading through exposure of light or other deterioration caused by atmospheric chemicals. Means by which the illusion of a 3-dimensional object or space is created on a 2-dimensional surface. One of the earliest photographic techniques. A photographic image produced without a camera or lens. Created by arranging objects on top of photographic paper, followed by being exposed to light. Also known as ‘rayographs/rayograms’ when associated with the artist and photographer Man Ray. A visible image produced by the action of light or other radiant energy on chemically prepared surfaces. For me it is the ‘art of painting with light’. Now find your own personal definition by exploring the medium. Discover, enjoy and create. Good luck. Camera without a lens. Uses a very small hole at one end; forms an image at the back of the camera which can be covered by film/ photographic paper. Rays of light that have been restricted to vibrate on one plane only. Camera that produces instantaneous pictures by using a ‘sandwich’ of film, processing chemicals and printing paper. ‘Additive’ colours in terms of transmitted light are red, green and blue. Lights of these colours can be mixed together to give white light or light of any other colour. Note in terms of painter’s pigments they are considered to be red, blue and yellow. Transparent medium capable of bending light to varying degrees, depending on wavelength. Apparatus used to display enlarged stills or moving images onto a screen. Paintings which look like photographs. Something you have witnessed at first hand e.g. visiting a gallery, something you have seen and done personally. A written response to another photographer’s/ artist’s work. Pictures where 2-D objects give a sense of solidity. An artwork which represents a particular person, often showing just the head and shoulders. Also a presentation format, when a piece of paper has a height which is longer then its width. The size of one object in relation to others. And the size of part of an object in relation to the whole. To make a picture of. A pictorial composition made up from an arrangement of photographs or parts thereof; often combined to give a different overall effect. Involves the transferring of an image from an original master onto a receptive substance such as paper, board or cloth; repeating the process any number of times. A decorative design, usually of a repeated motif or visual form in a systematic manner. Small invisible unit of radiant energy. Containing the characteristic of having the most essential part, form or embodiment of anything. Extravagantly romantic in ideals or chivalrous in action. States that exposure = intensity of light x time allowed on the photographic emulsion. Rays of light which strike a surface and bounce back again. After treatment carried out on a negative or print such as toning or pencil additions. Brief clean water wash between steps of the processing cycle which reduce carry-over of one solution into another. Caused by the flash being too close to the camera lens and level with the sitter’s eyes. The red glow comes from the vascular membrane behind the retina. Generic name for types of camera employing a mirror in the viewing system to reflect the image onto a screen. The bending of light waves as they travel from one medium to another. Irregular pattern created on the surface of the negative or print when subjected to severe temperature change or subjected to different acidity/alkalinity of the processing solutions. The negative version of a print; done by placing an already developed image on top of another (unexposed) piece of photographic paper and exposing the white light of the enlarger (without anything in the negative carrier) onto both pieces for a chosen amount of time. The partial reversal of tones, resulting from a secondary exposure to light during development. Also known as ‘solarisation’ especially when overexposed. Special darkroom lamp whose light does not affect the material being developed. Mechanical system used to control the time that the light is allowed to act on the specific sensitive material e.g. the photographic paper/film. Alternative term for projected transparency. Diffused definition of an image, which can be achieved at the camera or enlarger. Usually used in reference to the visible part of the electro-magnetic spectrum. Artificial light source with a controllable beam. Production of photographic images that give the appearance of depth; similar to ‘binocular’ vision as experienced in human sight. Invented by English scientist Sir Charles Wheatstone in the 1830’s; was in vogue in the late 19th century. Chemical whose purpose is to stop the development by neutralizing the developer. Reducing the size of the lens aperture and thus the amount of light passing through into the camera or onto the print. Colours resulting from mixing together any two of the primary colours. Uses a series of brief flashes; used to produce multiple exposure images recording progressive stages of movement. Generic name for cameras taking very small format film; 16mm width or less. An aspect of colour concerned with its purity, richness or brilliance. It is sometimes referred to in terms of brightness or dullness. A shade is an aspect of colour which has had black added and is therefore a darker tone. Creating light and dark areas to give the illusion of three dimensions. Brown pigment used in watercolour, ink, dyes or tones. Sometimes known as graffito; it refers to the technique of scratching away at a surface to reveal the material underneath. Used in painting to describe the gradual, soft changes in tone from light to dark. Used to describe mellow, atmospheric effects. Process of printing based on the use of stencils, screens and squeegees. What the artwork is based on; what it shows. A painting, drawing or photograph of a group of objects which have been selected by the artist/photographer. Refers to the relative proportion of one thing to another. Something that is drawn to the scale of a tenth is ten times smaller than the original. How something is put together. Dream-like, using images from the subconscious; ‘irrational juxtaposition of images’. A profile outline. Aesthetic feeling which contains elements of bewilderment, danger or terror. Something you have experienced from second hand e.g. reproductions of artists’ work, information from books, magazines and the internet. Trial and error method of calculating exposure in photographic printing. The surface character of an object e.g. rough, smooth, cracked. In photography, careful control of lighting can be used to describe a surface by adding a tactile quality in terms of depth, shape and tone suggesting three dimensions. Refers to the strength of greys between black and white. It relates to the lightness, brightness and darkness of a subject and is determined by illumination. Used to change the ‘colour’ of a photographic print using chemical baths. Through-the-lens light metering; determining the correct amount of exposure required. Usual term for long lenses that are used to produce ‘magnified’ images. Camera support with three (often collapsible) legs. Formed by mixing secondary colours. An aspect of colour which has white added and is therefore a lighter tone. 2D; refers to artworks which have height and width but no depth. 3D; refers to artworks which are solid, having height, width and depth. How you produce the artwork. The manner of execution. A small sketch just to show the simple outlines of an idea. Derived from the Italian word meaning dark and gloomy. A technique of painting using dark and dramatic tones; tends to have more shadows than ‘chiaroscuro’. Word used to describe an image that looks so real we feel we can touch it. Technique which tries to ‘fool the eye’ and looks so real that the painted surface looks like real space. Failure to give sufficient development to a photographic material (film/paper). Printing papers in which the contrast can be varied depending on the ‘colour’ of the printing light. This can be altered by using different ‘colour/grade’ filters. System used for composing and sometimes focusing the subject. Printing technique where the edges are faded out toward the border of the print. Image of a landscape or city which is very accurate. Opposite of ‘capriccio’. Final part of the processing cycle, which removes the residual chemicals. Lens with wide covering power/ wide angle of view. Used to get ‘closer’ to the subject without physically moving toward it. |