Intro. Art: Photography Vocabulary

Photography Vocabulary

APERTURE - The size of the lens opening through which light passes.

CAMERA - A picture taking device usually consisting of a light-tight box, a film holder, a shutter to admit a measured quantity of light and a lens to focus the image.

CONTACT PRINTING - Placing a negative in contact with sensitized material, usually paper, and then passing light through the negative onto the material.

DEVELOPER - A chemical solution that changes the invisible, latent image produced during exposure into a visible one.

EXPOSURE - The intensity of light multiplied by the length of time it falls on a light-sensitive material; specifically, the combination of shutter speed and aperture.

FIXER - A chemical solution that makes a photographic image insensitive to light.

SAFELIGHT - A light used in the darkroom during printing to provide general illumination without giving unwanted exposure.

SHUTTER - A mechanism that opens and closes to admit light into a camera for a measured length of time.

STOP BATH - An acid solution used between the developer and the fixer to stop the action of the developer and to preserve the effectiveness of the fixer.