May 2025

Underexposure – when the picture is too dark. Not enough light has entered the camera. Ultra-wide Angle Lens – A type of camera lens with an exceptionally short focal length and a wide field of view, allowing photographers to capture expansive scenes and dramatic perspectives with exaggerated depth and spatial…

Tonal range – Tonal range is the total number of tones in an image, from its darkest to its brightest area. A wider tonal range allows for a higher variety of shades, which translates into more detail. In black-and-white photography, this translated into shades of grey. In digital photography, the…

Saturation – Saturation refers to the colour intensity of an image. As their saturation increases, colours appear more vivid and are considered purer. Decreasing saturation results in muted colours, with full desaturation giving a monochromatic version of the image. Scene modes – Scene modes are automatic camera modes with pre-set…

RAW file – a RAW file preserves most of the information from the camera, it doesn’t process it or compress it. You can’t see or print a RAW file until you process it through a computer programme. Raw files are approximately 3-5 times the size of a Jpeg file. Resolution…

Quality – Quality is one of the most widely used and yet more vague photography terms. One way to consider the quality of an image is by looking for aberrations or information loss. Another, more subjective, one is to evaluate its composition, sharpness, exposure, etc. Quick-release plate – A quick-release…

P – P is a semi-automatic camera mode. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t stand for “professional,” but for “programmed automatic”. This mode allows photographers to control a few settings such as the use of flash, ISO, EV, and WB. The rest of the settings are automatically selected by the…

Overexposed – When the picture is too bright. Too much light has entered the camera. Optical Viewfinder – An optical viewfinder is a viewing system found in cameras that allows photographers to compose and frame their shots by looking through a physical eyepiece, which provides a direct optical view of…

Noise – Noise is a visual distortion that looks like tiny, coloured specs on a photo. It is especially visible in images shot at high ISO or very slow shutter speeds. Noise is the digital photography version of film grain. Neutral Density Filter – A neutral density (ND) filter is…

Macro – extreme close-up photography, used to capture very small subjects or detail. Click here for some Macro photography ideas. M or Manual Mode – mode that most DSLR and Mirrorless cameras have which allow for full control over all of the camera’s settings. Learn how to master your camera’s…

Leading Lines – composition technique using lines to guide the viewer’s eye into a part of the scene. Learn how to use leading lines here. Lightroom – image management and editing software by Adobe. Allows you to organise your photography into folders, make global edits, and perform batch actions. Check…