Black's Photo Glossary
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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AC Adapter
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An external power supply for your camera or other electronic device that converts AC (alternating current) from a wall plug to DC (direct current). Used instead of a battery to power a device. Some AC adapters also double as rechargers.
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ACROBAT
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A program developed and marketed by Adobe Systems that generates and reads PDF files. Acrobat Reader is a free application that allows anybody to view PDF files.
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AF ASSIST LAMP
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A lamp that fires an infrared/laser light at the subject in low light conditions to improve a camera’s automatic focus ability. This feature is not found on all digital cameras.
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ALKALINE BATTERY
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A type of high capacity single-use battery that has a longer life and provides more power than standard heavy duty batteries.
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ALL-IN-ONE
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A multipurpose device that serves as a scanner, fax machine, photocopier and printer. Although connected to a computer, it can also perform certain functions independently. Some all-in-one devices are equipped with a card reader that allows you to print photographs directly from your camera’s memory card. Also
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AMBIENT LIGHT
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The natural or artificial light available in an indoor and or outdoor setting, which surrounds the subject but is not produced or modified by the photographer for the purposes of taking a picture; 2) the natural light in a scene; 3) Light that has no apparent source and does not cast shadows.
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APERTURE
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A variable opening that controls the quantity of light that passes through a camera lens and reaches the digital sensor (CCD or CMOS) or film. The wider the opening, the more light passes through. The aperture size is expressed as an f-stop or F/number. The larger the F/number, the smaller the aperture. The aperture size also affects an image’s depth of field.
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APERTURE/SHUTTER PRIORITY
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Camera mode that lets the user set either aperture width or shutter speed manually while the camera automatically sets the other to achieve proper exposure.
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APS
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A film system developed by Kodak and used by other manufacturers/ APS film is 24 mm wide and has three user-selectable image formats: H for HDTV with a 9:16 aspect ratio, C for Classic with a 2:3 ratio and P for Panoramic, with a 1:3 ratio APS cameras also let the user imprint magnetic information onto the back of the film to provide processing instructions and other information to the processing lab.
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ARTIFACT
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An unwanted visual element in a digital photograph that is caused by the sensor, optics or imaging algorithms of a digital camera, or by the compression format used to save an image. Common artifacts include jaggies (jagged lines), moiré patterns (an optical illusion that produces a strobing effect), noise (grainy images), and chromatic aberrations (coloured halos around objects).
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ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
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Any light not originating from a natural source. In photography, artificial light often designates light, such as studio lamps or a flash, used by the photographer to illuminate the scene.
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ASPECT RATIO
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The relationship between the width and height of an image. The aspect ratio for 35mm photo film is 3:2; that of most digital photographs is 4:3, which is the same aspect ratio as television or 35mm movie film.
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AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE (AE)
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A camera feature that automatically sets the aperture width and shutter speed to best match lighting conditions. (See also APERTURE/SHUTTER PRIORITY)
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AUTOFLASH or AUTOMATIC FLASH
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The default mode for compact cameras. The camera automatically triggers the internal flash if there is not enough light to take a picture.
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AUTOFOCUS (AF)
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Camera mode in which the camera focuses upon the subject . Pressing the shutter release halfway focusses on the subject. Pressing the shutter release all the way takes the picture.
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AUTOFOCUS ASSIST LAMP
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See AF ASSIST LAMP
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AVAILABLE LIGHT
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The natural light that exists in a non-studio or outdoor setting. Often implies relatively dim light.
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