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SAFELIGHT - A lamp, typically in a darkroom, that allows a person to view light-sensitive material without it being altered by the light. The lamp is generally coated with or enclosed in a partially-translucent filter that screens out light rays to which the film or paper are sensitive.
SANDWICHING - Combining two (or more) negatives or slides for simultaneous printing or viewing.
SATURATION - The degree of hue in color as perceived subjectively. Saturated color can be termed strong, vivid, intense or deep. Desaturated color can be termed weak, pale, washed out or dull.
SCALE is often revealed only when an object of known size is introduced in a photograph.
SCALE - (1) The relative size of an object. (2) A set of marks to indicate distances at which a lens is focused, often engraved near the focusing ring on a lens.
SCANNER - Electronic device that captures an impression of an object (commonly a photographic print or other flat document) and converts it into a digital image which can be edited and saved on a computer.
SEGMENTED - See "Stitch" below.
SELECTIVE FOCUS - Employing shallow depth of field through the use of a wide aperture so that the subject is isolated from its surroundings because they are not in focus.
SELF-TIMER - Mechanism that can be set to automatically release the shutter following a timed delay, usually covering a delay range of up to 10 seconds. Its principal use occurs when the photographer wishes to be included in the picture, but it is also useful in avoiding camera movement or vibration during time exposures.(Also known as “Delayed action”)
SENSITIZED - Made photo-sensitive. Photo-sensitive paper for making prints has been "sensitized."
SENSITIVITY - The degree to which a photographic emulsion reacts to light. Fast film, for example, has greater sensitivity than slow film.
SET - A specific area in which objects and persons are photographed - generally in a photo studio - and comprised of a backdrop and props.
SHADOW DETAIL - Detail that is visible in an image's darker areas.
SHARPNESS - An image’s degree of clarity in terms of focus and contrast.
SHEET FILM - Piece of film sized for one exposure in a view camera.
SHOOT - As a verb, to "shoot" is to take a picture. As a noun, a "shoot" is a photography session.
SHOOTING DISTANCE - The distance from the camera to the subject.
SHORT LIGHTING - Also called "narrow lighting," short lighting is arrived at when the main light completely illuminates only the side of the subject's face that is turned away from the camera.
SHUTTER - A movable cover for an opening. In photography, that opening is the lens - more specifically, the aperture. The shutter blocks the passage of light traveling through the lens to the film when it is closed, and allows light to reach the film when it is open. Shutters are composed of blades, a curtain, a plate or another movable cover. They control the amount of time that light is allowed to pass through the opening to reach the film.
SHUTTER LAG - Using a digital camera, the delay that occurs between pressing the shutter release button and the actual moment the picture is taken.
SHUTTER SPEED - Controls the duration of an exposure - the faster the Shutter speed, the shorter the exposure time.
SHUTTER PRIORITY - An exposure mode (in a camera with automatic exposure control) that permits the photographer to preset shutter speed while the camera automatically determines the aperture setting required for proper exposure.
SIDE LIGHTING - Light falling on a subject from the side relative to the camera position.
A SILHOUETTE is a dark shape with no three-dimensionality.
SILHOUETTE - A dark image outlined against a lighter background.
SIMPLE CAMERA - A camera operated with minimal adjustment by the photographer, such as a point-and-shoot. Simple cameras usually do not have to be focused, and have only a single aperture and one or a couple of shutter speeds.
SINGLE LENS REFLEX - (SLR) A camera with one lens only for both viewing and picture-taking. The image is reflected onto a viewing screen by a moveable mirror in the camera. The mirror flips out of the way just before the shutter opens, permitting light to strike the film.
SINGLE-USE CAMERA - Camera that is used only once. It is disposed of after the film is removed for processing.
SKYLIGHT FILTER - a UV filter with a pale rose tinge to it to warm up images. Intended for use with daylight-type color slide films to reduce excess bluishness.
SLAVE UNIT - A light-sensitive triggering device that is built in or attached to an electronic flash unit, causing the flash to fire simultaneously with another flash unit. Also called a "photo slave."
SLIDE - A single frame of exposed transparency film mounted for protection and to facilitate use in a slide projector.
SLIDE FILM - Film used in making slides. Also known as "Transparency film," "Positive film" or "Reversal film."
SLOW FILM - Film with relatively low sensitivity to light - typically having a film speed in or lower than the ISO 50 range.
SLOW LENS -A lens with a relatively narrow maximum aperture -ƒ/8, for example.
SLR - Abbreviation for Single Lens Reflex.
SMARTMEDIA - Brand name for one type of digital camera's re-usable memory card on which images taken by the camera are stored.
SMEAR - White streaks from a powerful light source, such as reflected sunlight or the sun itself, that appear on an image captured by a digital camera's CCD.
SNAPSHOT - An informal photograph, especially one taken quickly by a simple, hand-held camera.
SNOOT - A shield fitted to a lamp used to direct a concentrated beam of light onto a scene.
A diffusion filter is effective at creating a SOFT FOCUS effect in portraits.
SOFT FOCUS - A soft look achieved by bending some of the light from the subject so it is defocused while the rest remains in focus. Highlights are actually dispersed onto adjacent areas. The image still looks properly-focused overall, but its components are just enough out-of-focus that they are softened. Lines are slightly fuzzy and small details seem to disappear.
SOFT LIGHTING - Low contrast illumination.
SOLARIZATION - Print solarization occurs when a photographic print is partially developed, then exposed to white light before the print is completely developed. The effect is a reversal of all or some tones - i.e. some of the image appears to be positive while other portions of it appear to be negative. (Note: Some darkroom technicians obtain the effect by first completely developing the print, then exposing it to white light before immersing it in stop bath.) Black and white and color films and papers that are based on silver halide emulsions can also be solarized.
SPEC SHOT - A photograph taken on "speculation" that a photographer hopes will be sold on its own merits.
SPECTRAL SENSITIVITY - The relative response of a light-sensitive emulsion to wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum.
SPEED - A measure of the sensitivity to light of a photographic emulsion.
SPLIT LIGHTING - In a studio, the main light is placed so that it completely illuminates one side of the face while leaving the other side in shadow. It's a true lighting split - half light, half-dark.
SPLIT NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTER - Another name for a Gradated neutral density filter.
SPOT METER - A type of exposure meter with an acceptance angle of 1 degree or less used to obtain reflected light readings of a small area of a scene.
SPOTTING - Retouching of a photographic print using a brush with watercolors or dyes, or a pencil, to get rid of blemishes caused by dust or scratches on a negative.
SST - Super Spectra Coating - Canon's multi-layer coating applied to most of its FD lenses.
STAIN - The discolored parts of a print or film caused by insufficient fixing, washing or agitation during processing, or by contaminated processing solutions.
STATS - A model's statistical information - his or her measurements, size, height, etc.
STITCH - To join together one or more pictures, usually to make a panorama. A "stitched" or "segmented" image involves taking two or more photographs of a scene from the same camera position, with the camera rotating on a single axis and with each image (segment) partially over-lapping another so they can be joined together ("stitched") on your computer using image-processing software, resulting in a single extra-wide or extra-tall picture.
STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY - Images that are not photographed for a specific client or use, but are catalogued for review and selection by someone who may have a use for the image.
STOP -
(1) As a noun, a stop is a single aperture setting or shutter speed setting. A “one stop” change in exposure is achieved by changing either the aperture or the shutter speed to the next incremental setting - i.e. doubling or halving the shutter speed or aperture value. (A shutter speed of 1/125 sec is a one stop change from 1/250 sec. An aperture of f/5.6 is a one stop change from f/8.)
(2) As a verb, to "stop down" is to decrease exposure by reducing the size of the aperture or increasing shutter speed - e.g. a light meter reading may indicate that you should stop down by three stops for proper exposure.
STOP BATH - An acid bath or rinse (usually a weak solution of acetic acid) for stopping the action of a developer before fixing a negative or print.
STOPPING DOWN - Reducing aperture size - for example, from ƒ/16 to ƒ/22.
STREET PHOTOGRAPHER - The original name for a paparazzo before the name "paparazzo" came into use.
STROBE - Although commonly-used to describe an electronic flash unit, especially one used in a studio, a strobe (short for "stroboscope" or "stroboscopic lamp") actually refers to an intermittently-flashing, extremely-short duration, bright light source.
STUDIO - A room specially equipped for photography.
STYLIST - In photography of people, a stylist selects and coordinates garments and accessories to be worn by the subject. In food photography, a stylist prepares the food, designs the setting and arranges it for the photographer.
SUBJECT - (1) The principal object (person, animal, thing) in a photograph or being photographed. (2) A theme or topic in photography. (3) The most essential object in a photograph, without which the photograph’s purpose or meaning would be unclear.
SUBORDINATE OBJECT - In a picture, an object where there is more than one object, that is given the least visual weight or importance, often appearing in the background, but not necessarily. It may also be less sharply-focused, smaller, darker or brighter, or otherwise subordinate to other objects in the image.
SUPER SPECTRA COATING or SST - Canon's multi-layer coating applied to most of its FD lenses.
SYNCHRONIZED FLASH - Flash that is coordinated with shutter speed such that the shutter is fully open when the flash illuminates the scene being photographed.
SYNCH CORD - Also "sync cord." An electrical cord connecting a camera to an electronic flash unit to permit synchronized flash.
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