Speak Camera: Key Photography Terms, Explained

The Language Of Photography

Photography comes with its own language, but don’t worry, you don’t need to memorize a dictionary. This page breaks down the most common terms you’ll hear in class and see in tutorials, so you can understand what you’re doing (and sound like you know what you’re doing, too).

Here’s a quick glossary to get you started:

• Aperture: Controls how much light enters your lens; affects depth of field.

• Shutter Speed: How long the shutter stays open; controls motion blur or freeze.

• ISO: Sensitivity to light; higher ISO = brighter photos but more grain.

• Exposure Triangle: The balance of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

• White Balance: Adjusts colors based on the light source; prevents weird color casts.

• Depth of Field: How much of the image is in sharp focus (shallow = blurry background).

• RAW vs. JPEG: RAW files hold more image data and are better for editing; JPEGs are smaller and ready to share.

• Manual Mode: Full control over all settings—great once you understand the basics.

  You’ll learn all of these (and more) naturally throughout TMac’s courses. But when you need a quick refresher, this cheat sheet has your back.