Oblique Lighting
Lighting that comes from an angle to create shadows and highlights, adding depth and dimension to a subject.
Objective Lens
The front lens of a camera or lens system that gathers light and focuses it onto the image sensor.
Observation
Act of closely examining and studying a subject before capturing it through photography.
Off-Camera Flash
A flash unit that is detached from the camera and triggered remotely to provide additional or creative lighting.
Off-Center Composition
A composition where the main subject is intentionally placed away from the center of the frame for a more dynamic and visually appealing image.
On-Camera Flash
A built-in or attached flash unit on a camera that provides artificial light when capturing images.
Optical Zoom
The zooming capability of a lens achieved by physically adjusting the focal length to bring the subject closer or push it farther away.
Orange Filter
A colored filter that reduces the intensity of blue light, often used in black and white photography to darken skies and increase contrast.
Overexposure
A situation where too much light reaches the camera’s sensor, resulting in a brighter and washed-out image.
Overhead Shot
A perspective where the camera is positioned directly above the subject, capturing it from a bird’s-eye view.
Overpowering the Sun
Using artificial lighting, such as strobes or powerful flashes, to illuminate a subject brighter than the natural sunlight.
Overprocessing
The act of applying excessive editing or digital enhancements to an image, resulting in an unnatural or unrealistic appearance.
Overwhelm
A feeling experienced when confronted with an extensive range of subjects, scenes, or visual information to capture through photography.
Overwhelming Depth
A technique where a wide-angle lens is used to exaggerate the sense of depth and perspective in a photograph.
Overlapping Elements
Incorporating elements in a photograph that partially or completely cover each other, creating visual interest and complexity.
Overpowering Ambient Light
Using powerful artificial light sources to overpower and dominate the effect of existing ambient light in a scene.
Overhead Lighting
Lighting that comes from directly above the subject, often creating strong shadows and emphasizing texture and form.
Overhanging Branches
Tree branches that extend over a scene, providing a natural frame or leading lines for composition.
Overcast
A weather condition where the sky is covered by clouds, resulting in diffuse and soft lighting for photography.
Overpowering Background
Adjusting the lighting or exposure to make the background of an image more prominent or visually dominant.
Organic Shapes
Irregular and free-flowing shapes found in nature, such as clouds, tree branches, or rock formations.
Open Aperture
Setting the lens aperture to its widest opening, allowing more light to enter and resulting in a shallow depth of field.
Optical Stabilization
A technology in camera lenses or bodies that reduces blur caused by camera shake by mechanically compensating for movement.
Overlapping Foreground
Placing objects or elements in the foreground of an image in a way that they overlap and partially obscure the subject, adding depth and interest.
Optical Viewfinder
The traditional viewfinder found on DSLR cameras and some mirrorless cameras, allowing the photographer to see the scene directly through the lens.
Ocular Lens
The eyepiece or viewfinder lens through which the photographer looks to compose and frame the shot.
Outdoor Photography
The practice of capturing images in natural environments, such as landscapes, wildlife, or outdoor events.
One-Point Perspective
A compositional technique where lines converge towards a single vanishing point, creating a sense of depth and leading the viewer’s eye towards the subject.
Overhead Light Source
A lighting setup where the main light source is positioned directly above the subject, illuminating it from an overhead angle.
Optical Quality
The overall performance and clarity of a lens in terms of image sharpness, color accuracy, distortion, and other optical characteristics.
Optical Flare
A lens artifact or effect caused by the scattering or reflection of light within the lens elements, resulting in the appearance of streaks or halos in the image.
Opacity
The degree of transparency or translucency in an image, often adjusted during post-processing or printing.
Orientation
The aspect ratio or the vertical and horizontal positioning of an image, such as portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal).
Optical Fiber
A transparent, flexible fiber used in some lighting setups to transmit light from a remote light source to a desired location.
Optical Flattener
A lens accessory used to correct spherical aberrations and field curvature, resulting in a flatter and more distortion-free image.
Orthochromatic Film
A black and white film sensitive to blue and green light but less sensitive to red light, resulting in a different tonal rendering compared to panchromatic film.
Out of Focus
A state where a subject or part of an image appears blurred due to incorrect or intentional focus settings.
Optical Illusion
A visual phenomenon that tricks the viewer’s perception, creating a misleading or distorted impression of reality.
Overhang
A feature in a landscape or architectural scene where a structure or element extends beyond its vertical support, creating a sense of shelter or enclosure.
Object Isolation
A technique used to separate a subject from its background by using a shallow depth of field or strategic lighting to make the subject stand out.
Open Shade
A shaded area where indirect or diffused light is available, often used for portraits to avoid harsh lighting and create softer shadows.
Overcast Filter
A filter used to simulate the effect of an overcast sky, reducing contrast and creating a muted or hazy appearance in the image.
Optical Element
A component of a lens, such as a glass or plastic element, that contributes to the focusing and shaping of light.
Obstruction
An element or object that blocks or partially covers the main subject or scene, adding visual interest and depth.
On-Location
The act of shooting photographs in a setting or location outside of a studio, often chosen for its specific atmosphere or background.
Opaque
The property of a material or object that does not transmit light, resulting in a lack of transparency.
Optical Distortion
An inherent characteristic of lenses that causes a deviation from true geometric shapes, resulting in barrel or pincushion distortion.
Overhead Rig
A camera support system or mounting mechanism that allows the camera to be positioned directly above the subject, capturing it from a high angle.
Optical Coating
A thin layer applied to lens surfaces to reduce reflections, flare, and ghosting, improving image contrast and color accuracy.
Outtake
A photograph that is not selected for use or publication, typically discarded or stored as an unused image.
Overhead Mount
A camera support system or rigging mechanism that suspends the camera overhead, allowing for unique perspectives and overhead shots.
Outdoor Events
Occasions or gatherings held in open-air settings, such as concerts, festivals, or sports events, which offer various photographic opportunities.
Overpowering Shadows
The act of using strong lighting to diminish or eliminate shadows in a scene, resulting in a high-contrast image.
Overhead Product Photography
A style of product photography where the subject is placed on a flat surface, and the camera is positioned directly above to capture a top-down view.
Overexposure Warning
A feature in digital cameras that alerts the photographer when areas of the image are likely to be overexposed based on the brightness levels.
Optimum Aperture:
The aperture setting at which a lens performs at its sharpest and offers the best overall image quality, typically not the widest or narrowest aperture available.
Overlapping Frames
The technique of capturing a series of photographs where each frame overlaps with the previous one, often used for creating panoramic images or time-lapse sequences.
Ocular Diopter Adjustment
The ability to adjust the viewfinder or eyepiece of a camera to accommodate different levels of vision correction for the photographer.
Open Shutter
A technique where the camera’s shutter is intentionally left open for an extended period, allowing light to continuously expose the image sensor, resulting in long-exposure effects such as light trails or motion blur.
Overlay
A technique in post-processing where an additional image or texture is superimposed over the original photograph, creating a composite or artistic effect.
Out of Frame
A term used to describe elements or subjects that are intentionally placed or cropped outside the boundaries of the photograph, creating a sense of tension or intrigue.
On-the-Fly
A term used to describe quick adjustments or changes made while photographing without interrupting the flow of shooting, often done to adapt to changing conditions or opportunities.
Orientation Sensor
A built-in sensor in digital cameras that detects the camera’s position and automatically rotates the image for proper orientation during playback.
Overpowering the Background
Using strong lighting or exposure settings to make the background of an image brighter or more visually dominant than the subject.
Overhead Reflector
A reflective surface or panel positioned above the subject to bounce light onto the subject, reducing shadows and providing additional illumination from above.
Optical Zoom Range
The range between the minimum and maximum focal lengths of a zoom lens, allowing for variable magnification of the subject without physically moving closer or farther away.
Overhead Subject Placement
Positioning the main subject of a photograph towards the top of the frame, often to emphasize its importance or create a sense of vulnerability.
Out-of-Bounds Effect
A creative editing technique where elements of an image appear to extend beyond the frame, giving a three-dimensional or surreal impression.
Optical Viewfinder Coverage
The percentage of the actual scene that can be seen through the camera’s optical viewfinder, which may vary depending on the camera model.
Overexposure Compensation
A camera setting that allows the photographer to deliberately increase the exposure to compensate for scenes with predominantly bright or high-key elements.
Overhead Drone Photography
Aerial photography captured from an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) positioned directly above the subject or scene.
Object Tracking
A camera feature that enables continuous focus on a moving subject by tracking its movement, allowing for sharp and in-focus images.
Optical Quality Test
A series of evaluations performed to assess the sharpness, clarity, distortion, and other optical characteristics of a lens or camera system.
Overhead Rigging
The setup or arrangement of equipment, such as lighting, cameras, or supports, overhead or suspended from above to capture images or create unique perspectives.
Overexposed Silhouette
A creative technique where the subject appears as a dark silhouette against a bright and overexposed background, often achieved by exposing for the highlights.
Object Distance
The physical distance between the camera and the subject or object being photographed, affecting the perspective, magnification, and depth of field.
Overpowering Ambient Noise
Using loud or dominant sounds or music to overpower and mask other ambient noises in a photography or video production setting.
Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED)
A type of display technology used in some high-end camera viewfinders, known for its high contrast, wide viewing angles, and accurate color reproduction.
Outstretched Pose
A pose where the subject extends their limbs or body parts outward, creating a sense of movement, action, or dynamic energy in the photograph.
Outdoorsy Aesthetic
A visual style or trend in photography that focuses on natural landscapes, adventure, and the exploration of outdoor environments, often emphasizing rustic, rugged, or wilderness themes.
