Common Camera Terminology
Aperture: This means the size of the opening in your lens and helps control how light or dark you images will be. Aperture is measured in “f-stops.” More open (i.e. wide aperture like f/1.8) lets more light into your camera, and less open (i.e. small aperture like f/22) lets less light into your camera.
Bokeh: This refers to the blurry orbs of light you often see in photos of Christmas lights. Playing with a really wide aperture can help you achieve this look in the background of your images.
Depth of Field: When you hear people talk about certain areas of a photo being in focus and other parts being out of focus, they’re talking about depth of field.
ISO: This term means how sensitive your camera is to light. If you’re shooting during the day, a lower ISO works great (e.g. ISO 100). If you’re shooting in low lighting or at night, you want your camera to be more sensitive to light (e.g. ISO 3200).
Shutter Speed: This dictates how long your lens stays open before taking the picture. It’s measured in seconds or fractions of a second. Leaving your shutter open longer lets in more light. Just beware that anything that moves during the time your shutter is open (e.g. an antsy horse) becomes blurry. Use a tripod!
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