1. Unit 57: Photography and Photographic Practice Terminology (P1, P2, M1, M2)
Term Explanation of term e.g. what it Examples
is used for / the effect it has on
your images
Shutter Speed In still cameras, the term shutter speed
represents the time that the shutter
remains open when taking a
photograph.
ISO The letters ISO on your digital SLR
camera settings refer to the film
speed.

2. Aperture & Depth of Depth of field refers to the range of
field (F stop) distance that appears acceptably
sharp. It varies depending on camera
type, aperture and focusing distance,
although print size and viewing
distance can also influence our
perception of depth of field.
Automatic Exposure An option on automated cameras in
which a computer system inside the
camera controls the selection of a
correct exposure. At its simplest,
automatic exposure is of one basic
type - program AE, in which both
shutter speed and aperture are
determined by the camera. More
advanced cameras also support
aperture priority and shutter speed
priority modes which let the
photographer specify the desired
aperture and shutter speed,
respectively

3. Manual Exposure In "Full Manual" mode, you can set
both the aperture and the shutter
speed. This gives you ultimate control
over the exposure. This can be useful
to ensure that the same exposure is
used for a sequence of shots or when
shooting in special circumstances.
Colour Balance Also known as white balance, this is a
camera setting that allows you to
compensate for the colour of the light
that is illuminating your scene.
Composition Composition is the visual process of
organizing and individual details of a
scene into a balanced and pleasing
arrangement.

4. Rule of thirds Imaginary lines are drawn dividing the
image into thirds both horizontally and
vertically. You place important
elements of your composition where
these lines intersect.
Complementary We look at a colour wheel to
Colours understand the relationships between
colours. Analogous colours are
positioned in such a way as to mimic
the process that occurs when
blending hues.

5. Analogous colours Analogous colours are any three
colours which are side by side on a 12
part colour wheel, such as yellow-
green, yellow, and yellow-orange.
Usually one of the three colours
predominates.
Macro Macro photography is the art of
taking close-up pictures that reveal
details which can’t be seen with the
naked eye.
Macro photography of a
flower.