Vocabulary 2

DEPTH OF FIELD: The image space in front of and behind the plane of focus that appears acceptably sharp in the photogaph.

DOWNLOAD: The transfer of data from one device to another such as from the camera to computer or computer to printer.

DPI: Dots per inch, referring to printing resolution.

ELECTRONIC FLASH: A device with a glass or plastic tube filled with gas that, when electrified, creates an intense flash of light. Also called a strobe. Unlike a flash bulb, it is reuseable.

EXPOSURE: When light enters the camera and reacts with the sensitized medium. The term can also refer to the amount of light that strikes the light sensitive medium.

FILE FORMAT: The form in which digetal images are stored and recorded, e.g., JPEG, RAW, TIFF, etc.

FILTER: Usually a piece of plastic or glass used to control how certain wavelengths of light are recorded. A filter absorbs selected wavelengths, preventing them from reaching the light sensitive medium. Also, software available in image-processing computer programs can produce special filter effects.

FLARE: Unwanted light streaks or rings that appear in the viewfinder, on the recorded image, or both. It is caused by extraneous light entering the camera during shooting. Diffuse flare is uniformly reflected light that can lower the contrast of the image. Zoom lenses are susceptible to flare because they are comprised of many elements. Filters can also reduce this undesirable effect.

FOCAL PLANE: The plane on which a lens forms a sharp image. Also, it may be the film plane or sensor plane.

FOCUS: An optimum sharpness or image clarity that occurs when a lens creates a sharp image by converging light rays to specific points a the focal plane. The word also refers to the act of adjusting the lens to achieve optimal image sharpness