Understanding the language of photography is key to mastering the skill. Here is a brief introduction to some of the basic terminology.
Aperture
A basic term, aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens. The opening in the lens affects the imagery. Larger openings let in more light which makes for brighter pictures; the opposite is true of smaller openings or apertures. Aperture is measured in f-stops. Small f-stops are wide openings whole large f-stops are narrow openings or aperture. Aperture also affects the image exposure and focus.
Aspect Ratio
Aspect ratio is the ratio of the height of an image to its width. The aspect ratio affects the dimensions of the picture when printing or publishing the images. It should be adjusted to desired specifications to fit different formats.
Burst Mode
Burst mode or continuous mode allows you to take pictures in a continuous stream as long as you hold the button down. You can take pictures until the buffer is full. The speed is captured in frames per second (fps).
Depth of Field
Depth of field refers to how much of the image is in focus. A frame may focus on an object, but a wider area than one specific object will stay sharp- this is the depth of field. It can be shallow or large depending on the focus of the image.
Exposure
Exposure refers to how light or dark an image is. Exposure is controlled by regulating aperture, shutter speed. Dark photos are under exposed, light photos are overexposed. Exposure can be adjusted through exposure compensation.
File Format
A file format is the form in which the image is recorded in your camera. The preferred format is RAW because of ease in editing.
Viewfinder
The view finder is the hole that you can look through to see the image you’re about to take. Not all digital cameras have one.