A simple guide to photography slang

14th October 2022

In any new field of activity that we enter, it is normal to experience some awkwardness from not knowing something at first. In order not to feel like a stranger among photographers, you need not only to get yourself a camera but also to learn a new language. Below is a list of professionals like Prints4sure that will greatly facilitate the understanding of photographers both in various photography courses and in life – when communicating with them on professional topics.

Why is slang popular?

Slang is popular among young people because they:

  • trying to stand out from the crowd
  • assert oneself
  • want to impress others.

Photography words

Kit

This is a kit from the manufacturer (camera and lens). Sometimes a lens is also called a whale, for example, Canon’s popular Kit is the EF-S 18-55 mm lens.

Example: “I’m not some kind of beginner to buy a kit. I’ll choose the lens itself, 18-55 mm is what you need.”

Crop

  1. Reduced camera matrix compared to a standard frame.

Example: “I warn you, my camera is cropped, I won’t be able to take pictures like a pro. Just don’t leave a bad review, I only have 50 people in the group anyway.”

  1. Cropping a photo in a graphic editor that is usually done by a photo retoucher.

Example: “Of course, I know how to use Photoshop. Would you like to crop your best frame with you at least in Paint?”

Body

Body – part of the camera, which contains the entire software part, display, etc.

Example: Selling body, run 10 photos, took for my wife for a hobby.

Hot shoe

Connector for attaching an external flash.

Blende

A device to protect the lens from sun glare when shooting in bright sunlight, attached to the edge of the lens.

Example: “Yes, there is a little overexposure, but not because I don’t know how to combine shutter speed with aperture, it’s just that blende from China hasn’t arrived yet.”

Portraiture

Portrait lens.

Example: “If you bought a portraiture, it doesn’t mean that now you can shoot me 24/7, and I locked the bathroom, how did you get in?”

Bokeh

Bokeh is a Japanese word for a blurred background. The bokeh pattern is different for different lenses. But traditionally the most beautiful bokeh has lenses with a fixed focal length.

Pull shadows

Pull shadows – this is to lighten the dark parts of the picture with failed shadows. It is said to preserve shadow detail, and when the shadows are black, it is advised to lighten them to show (pull out) the shadow detail.

Dynamic diapason

DD – dynamic diapason. This is a value that characterizes the ability of a photosensitive material (photodetector) to reproduce with the same degree of contrast the differences in the brightness of the areas of the optical image of the object being photographed. Simply put, the wider the DD of the camera, the wider the range of brightness it can transmit without loss in the same picture. The larger the matrix (not in mp, but in size), the more DD.