Photography Terms starting with B
ByParichay Chakrabarti
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The aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus areas in a photograph, often characterized by soft and pleasingly blurred background or foreground elements.
A camera setting that allows the shutter to remain open for as long as the shutter button is pressed, enabling long exposures and creative effects.
The technique of taking multiple shots of the same scene at different exposures, typically with the intention of selecting the best-exposed image or creating an HDR composite.
Placing a light source behind the subject to create a visually striking effect, often resulting in silhouettes or highlighting the edges of the subject.
Achieving a harmonious distribution of visual elements in a photograph, including colors, tones, and compositional elements.
A monochromatic style of photography devoid of color, often used to emphasize contrast, texture, and the essence of the subject.
Darkening specific areas of a photograph during the printing or post-processing stage to enhance details or create a dramatic effect.
A state of lacking sharpness or clarity in a photograph, often caused by camera shake, subject motion, or shallow depth of field.
The overall lightness or darkness of a photograph, often adjusted during post-processing to achieve the desired tonal values.
The area or elements behind the main subject in a photograph, which provides context and can significantly impact the composition and visual impact of the image.
Overexposure in a photograph resulting in loss of detail and highlights becoming pure white.
Circular or round-shaped out-of-focus highlights in the background of an image, often associated with wide aperture lenses and shallow depth of field.
A camera function that allows for rapid consecutive shots, enabling the capture of multiple frames in quick succession, useful for capturing fast-paced action or selecting the best moment.
A portrait or close-up photograph that emphasizes the beauty and attractiveness of the subject, often highlighting flawless skin, makeup, and well-lit features.
Overexposed areas in a photograph where important details are lost due to excessive brightness.
A type of lens mount characterized by a bayonet-style mechanism that allows for quick and secure attachment of lenses to the camera body.
Adjustable flaps or panels attached to a studio light or flash to control the direction and spread of the light beam.
Undesirable visible patterns or bands in a photograph, often caused by compression, inadequate bit depth, or image processing.
The number of bits used to represent the color and tonal values of each pixel in an image, determining the level of detail and color accuracy.
21. Overexposed areas in a photograph where important details are lost due to excessive brightness.
The period of twilight before sunrise or after sunset when the sky appears predominantly blue, creating a unique and atmospheric lighting condition.
A compact camera that combines features of both a point-and-shoot camera and a DSLR, typically offering a wide zoom range and advanced controls.
An accessory that attaches to the camera to provide additional battery power, improved handling, and controls, particularly useful for extended shooting sessions.
A post-processing tool that allows selectively darkening specific areas of an image to enhance details or create a desired effect.
Visible lines or stripes in an image, often caused by limitations in color rendering, compression artifacts, or inadequate display capabilities.
The overall luminance or lightness of an image, which can be adjusted during post-processing to enhance the visual impact.
Achieving a pleasing distribution and equilibrium of visual elements within a photograph, ensuring that no single element overpowers the composition.
The technique of capturing multiple exposures of the same scene, typically varying the exposure settings, to ensure proper exposure or create an HDR image.
Intentionally reducing the sharpness and clarity of certain areas in a photograph to create a sense of motion, depth, or dream-like effect.
A lens that is specifically designed or renowned for its ability to create a pleasing bokeh effect, often characterized by a wide maximum aperture and specific optical design.
A camera or lens adjustment that ensures accurate focus on the subject by adjusting the position of the image sensor or film plane relative to the lens.
The rate at which data is processed or transmitted in a digital image or video, often affecting the quality and level of detail in the final output.
A type of tripod head that offers smooth and precise rotation in multiple directions, allowing for easy positioning and adjustment of the camera.
An expandable accordion-like attachment used in some cameras to enable close-up and macro photography by extending the lens-to-film or lens-to-sensor distance.
The temporary storage area in a digital camera that allows for the rapid capture and processing of multiple images in quick succession, reducing the risk of data loss or slowdown.
A camera setting or post-processing adjustment that compensates for the bright backlighting conditions, ensuring proper exposure of the main subject.
A type of lens distortion where straight lines near the edges of the frame appear curved outward, resembling the shape of a barrel.
A perspective or vantage point from directly above the subject, providing a unique and elevated viewpoint, often used in aerial photography or architectural shots.
A lighting technique where the main light source illuminates the side of the subject that is facing the camera, resulting in a broader and more evenly lit appearance.
A situation where certain areas of an image become completely white due to excessive exposure, resulting in the loss of all detail and texture.
A portrait lighting setup where the main light source is positioned directly in front of the subject and slightly above, creating a distinctive butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose.
The intentional blurring of the background in a photograph to create separation and focus on the main subject, often achieved through the use of a wide aperture.
A method where a black card or object is used to block or limit light from reaching certain areas of the scene, controlling exposure and enhancing contrast.
A filter placed in front of the camera lens to reduce the intensity of warm colors and enhance cool tones, often used for creative effects or correcting color casts.
A technique where focusing is assigned to a dedicated button on the camera, separating autofocus from shutter release for greater control and flexibility.
A long exposure technique where the shutter remains open for an extended period, typically longer than the camera’s maximum shutter speed, allowing for capturing scenes with low light or desired motion blur.
A portrait where the main light source is positioned behind the subject, creating a halo effect around the edges and often resulting in a dramatic and ethereal look.
A technique where the flash is directed at a surface, such as a ceiling or wall, to diffuse and soften the light, producing a more natural and flattering illumination.
The process of converting a color image to black and white, often done in post-processing to emphasize tonal values, contrast, and textures.
A versatile camera that bridges the gap between compact point-and-shoot cameras and more advanced interchangeable lens cameras, offering a wide zoom range and manual controls.
The duration or capacity of a camera’s battery to power the device and allow for continuous shooting or video recording, often influenced by factors like settings, usage, and environmental conditions.
Overexposed areas in a photograph where details are lost due to excessive brightness, resulting in a loss of texture and tonal information.
The built-in light meter in a camera that measures the intensity of light to determine the proper exposure settings, including aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
A series of images captured at different exposure settings, usually varying the shutter speed, to ensure proper exposure or facilitate blending for HDR imaging.
The process of capturing multiple exposures of the same scene at different settings, allowing for greater dynamic range and flexibility in post-processing.
The lowest native ISO setting on a camera that provides the least amount of image noise and highest image quality, typically associated with optimal light conditions.
A photographic scene where the primary light source is positioned behind the subject, creating a glow or halo effect and often producing dramatic silhouettes or highlighting translucent elements.
The process of converting a color image to black and white, often done in post-processing to emphasize tonal values, contrast, and textures.
Adjusting camera settings or adding artificial lighting to achieve a balance between the existing ambient light and the desired lighting conditions for a photograph.
The optical phenomenon that occurs when strong light enters the lens directly, causing lens flares, streaks, or circular patterns in the image, often used creatively for artistic effects.
A photographic effect achieved by intentionally using slow shutter speeds to capture moving subjects, resulting in a sense of motion or blur in the final image.
The process of digitally replacing the background of an image with a different scene or setting, often done in post-processing to enhance the composition or creative vision.
Circular or round shaped bokeh highlights in the background of an image, often rendered by lenses with wide apertures and specific optical characteristics.
A post-processing technique where the edges of an image are intentionally darkened or burned, creating a vignette effect that draws attention to the center of the frame.
A photographic technique where the subject is positioned in front of a bright light source, resulting in a darkened subject silhouette against a well-exposed background.
Custom-shaped bokeh highlights in the background of an image, often achieved by using a specially designed aperture diaphragm or adding a physical mask to the lens.
A monochromatic portrait photographs devoid of color, often chosen to emphasize the subject’s facial expressions, textures, and character.
The rate at which the camera’s battery power is depleted, influenced by factors like usage, settings, temperature, and the power requirements of the camera and attached accessories.
A technique that combines bracketed exposures of a high dynamic range scene, merging them in post-processing to create a final image with enhanced detail in both highlights and shadows.
A compositional technique where the foreground elements in a photograph are intentionally blurred, creating depth and drawing attention to the main subject or focal point.
A cable accessory used to remotely trigger the camera’s shutter in bulb mode, allowing for precise control and minimizing camera shake during long exposures.
The process of reducing or eliminating visible bands or lines in an image, often caused by limitations in color rendering, compression, or image processing.
A camera mode that allows for rapid consecutive shots, capturing a series of frames in quick succession, commonly used in sports, action, or wildlife photography.
The technique of using the bulb mode to capture long exposures, often employed in low-light conditions, astrophotography, or light painting.
The visual distinction and separation of the main subject from the background, typically achieved through techniques such as shallow depth of field, lighting, or post-processing.
A series of images captured at different exposure settings, usually varying the aperture, to ensure proper exposure or facilitate blending for HDR imaging.
A camera setting that allows for long exposures by keeping the shutter open for as long as the shutter button is pressed, enabling the capture of low-light scenes, astrophotography, and light painting.
The camera’s metering mode that prioritizes the exposure calculation based on the light coming from the background or main light source behind the subject, ensuring proper exposure in backlit situations.
A cable accessory used to remotely trigger the camera’s shutter in bulb mode, allowing for precise control and minimizing camera shake during long exposures.
Overexposed background areas in a photograph where important details are lost due to excessive brightness, resulting in a pure white or featureless background.
A non-destructive editing layer in post-processing software that allows for fine-tuning the overall brightness or exposure of an image without permanently altering the original data.
Techniques or technologies employed to reduce or minimize blur in photographs caused by camera shake, subject motion, or other factors, often utilizing optical stabilization or image stabilization systems.
A set of filters or accessories that can be attached to the front of a lens to create custom bokeh shapes or modify the appearance of bokeh highlights.
The process of using both artificial flash and existing ambient light to achieve a desired balance of illumination, often employed in portrait or indoor photography to create natural-looking results.
The technique of capturing portraits with the primary light source positioned behind the subject, creating a glowing effect around the edges and often producing a dramatic and ethereal look.
A camera mode that allows for long exposures by keeping the shutter open for an extended duration, typically longer than the camera’s maximum shutter speed, allowing for capturing scenes with low light or desired motion blur.
The practice of capturing multiple exposures of the same scene at different settings, typically varying the exposure value, to ensure a wider dynamic range for subsequent HDR (High Dynamic Range) processing.
A compositional technique where the foreground elements in a photograph are intentionally blurred, creating a sense of depth and adding visual interest to the image.
Circular or round-shaped out-of-focus highlights in the background of an image, often associated with wide-aperture lenses and shallow depth of field, creating a pleasing and aesthetic effect.
The process of converting a color image to black and white, often done in post-processing to emphasize tonal values, texture, and mood, and to create a timeless or artistic effect.
A subject that is illuminated from the back or against a bright light source, often resulting in a silhouette effect, highlighting the shape and contours of the subject while obscuring details.
A post-processing technique where certain areas of an image are intentionally darkened or burned, creating a stronger contrast, adding depth, or emphasizing specific elements within the frame.
A type of lens distortion where straight lines near the edges of the frame appear curved outward, resembling the shape of a barrel, often seen in wide-angle lenses.
The visual characteristics and aesthetic appeal of the out-of-focus areas in a photograph, including the shape, smoothness, and rendering of the bokeh highlights.
A photographic scene where the primary light source is positioned behind the subject, often creating a sense of depth, backlighting effects, and highlighting translucent or backlit elements.
A versatile camera that combines the portability and ease-of-use of a compact camera with some advanced features and manual controls typically found in DSLR or mirrorless cameras.
The process of blending multiple bracketed exposures of the same scene, combining the properly exposed areas from each exposure to create a final image with balanced tonal values and details.
The quality and appearance of the out-of-focus areas in the background of an image when using a wide aperture, often resulting in a pleasing and soft blur that enhances the subject separation.
A panoramic image captured with a wide-aperture lens, where the bokeh highlights in the background are stretched and elongated, creating a unique and artistic effect across the entire panoramic frame.
A safety measure that involves copying an image, file, folder or an entire hard drive to be stored in the event that the original files or data is lost. This can also be used as a noun to refer to the hard drive where the data is stored.