HDR (High Dynamic Range) – a technique using exposure bracketing and post-processing to create an image with a higher dynamic range. An image with a higher dynamic range will have more detail in the lights, darks and colours. Learn about HDR in Lightroom.

Histogram – visual representation of the colour and luminance of an image. The left side of a histogram represents the darks, the middle the mid-tones and the right side the highlights. Higher peaks represent more information in that part of the exposure. E.g. a tall right side of a histogram would indicate a lot of highlights in an image.

Hyperfocal – Hyperfocal is the distance at which the focus point provides a deeper depth of field. It is often used by landscape photographers to ensure their scenes are as sharp as possible.

Headshot – A headshot is a portrait photograph that focuses primarily on a person’s face, head, and shoulders, typically used for professional purposes such as resumes, business profiles, or actor/model portfolios. Headshots are often taken in a studio or controlled environment with careful attention to lighting, composition, and expression to capture the subject’s personality and professionalism. Want to take great headshots? Check out our Headshot Course with Mark Mcgee!

Holga – The Holga is a low-fidelity plastic camera known for its simple design, toy-like appearance, and distinctive image quality characterized by vignetting, light leaks, and soft focus. The Holga gained popularity among photographers for its unpredictable and creative results, often associated with artistic experimentation and alternative photography techniques.

Highlights – Highlights are the brightest areas in an image, where light is reflected or emitted at its highest intensity. In digital photography, highlights often represent the brightest portions of the scene captured by the camera sensor.

Hot Shoe – A hot shoe is a mounting point on top of a camera where accessories such as external flashes, flash triggers, or other compatible devices can be attached and synchronized with the camera’s shutter.

Hue – Hue refers to the attribute of colour that distinguishes one colour from another on the colour wheel. It represents the dominant wavelength of light that defines the perceived colour of an object, ranging from red, orange, and yellow to green, blue, and violet.

Hard Light – Hard light is a type of illumination characterized by strong, direct light that produces sharp, well-defined shadows and high contrast between light and shadow areas. Hard light sources create distinct, clearly defined edges and textures in a scene.

High-Key – High-key lighting is a photographic lighting technique characterized by bright, even illumination that minimizes shadows and creates a light, airy atmosphere. High-key photographs typically feature predominantly light tones and minimal contrast between light and shadow areas.

Haze – Haze is an atmospheric phenomenon caused by the scattering of light particles or moisture in the air, resulting in reduced visibility and a soft, diffused appearance in distant objects. In photography, haze can affect image clarity and contrast, particularly in landscape or aerial photography.

High-speed sync – High-speed sync (HSS) is a flash synchronization technique that allows photographers to use electronic flash units at shutter speeds faster than the camera’s maximum sync speed. HSS enables photographers to freeze motion and achieve proper exposure in bright ambient light conditions by synchronizing the flash with high-speed shutter movements.

Hybrid viewfinder – A hybrid viewfinder is a type of electronic viewfinder (EVF) found in some digital cameras that combines optical and electronic components to provide both optical and digital viewing options. Hybrid viewfinders offer the advantages of traditional optical viewfinders with the additional information and features of electronic displays.

High pass filter – A high pass filter is an image processing technique used to enhance image sharpness by accentuating high-frequency details and edges while suppressing low-frequency noise and unwanted image elements. High-pass filtering is commonly used in digital image editing to sharpen images and improve overall clarity.

Histogram Stretching – Histogram stretching, also known as histogram equalization or contrast stretching, is an image enhancement technique used to adjust the tonal range and distribution of pixel values in an image histogram. Histogram stretching expands the dynamic range of an image by redistributing pixel values across the entire tonal range, enhancing contrast and improving overall image quality.

Halation – Halation is a photographic artefact characterized by a diffuse, glowing effect around bright highlights or light sources in an image. Halation occurs when light reflects or refracts within the layers of a photographic emulsion or lens elements, causing light to spread beyond its intended boundaries and create a halo or aura effect.

Highlight recovery – Highlight recovery is an image editing technique used to recover detail and reduce overexposure in the brightest areas of an image, such as blown-out highlights. Highlight recovery software analyses image data and selectively adjusts exposure, tone, and contrast to restore detail and texture in highlight areas without affecting other parts of the image.