Focus On Lighting Photos Focus on the Fundamentals.pdf

Dodge: To lighten a portion
of an image. <strong>On</strong>ce done in
the darkroom by preventing
light from the enlarger striking
the paper during part of
the exposure. Now done in
postproduction work using
software. Also see burn.
Duct Tape: Cheap, strongly
adhesive, easily removable
tape used mostly for sealing
heating and air conditioning
ducts. Photographers use it to
hold things in place when no
specialized clamp exists or is
handy. Often used to tape cables
to the floor in a public space to
keep people from tripping. More
likely to cause damage when
removed. Also see gaffer tape.
Electronically Controlled
Triggering System: Triggers a
remote light not attached to the
camera by wire. <strong>On</strong>ce always
used visible light from another
flash, now increasingly replaced
by infrared or radio signals. The
infrared and radio versions often
also allow remote control of the
power and other settings of an
intelligent flash. A few specialized
versions trigger the flash as
the subject passes through a
laser beam, allowing accurate
photography of high-speed
subjects.
188 Glossary
Exposure: The amount of light
striking the electronic sensor
(or sometimes, still, the film).
Controlled by both the aperture
and the shutter speed. The wider
the aperture, the faster the
shutter speed can be, and vice
versa. Simple concept, but huge
implications beyond the scope
of a lighting book. Please seek
other sources of information.
Extension Rings: Tubes that
attach between the lens and the
camera. They have no optics
but do include the electrical
connections that allow the lens
to function as if it were attached
directly to the camera. Used for
macro photography by changing
the distance of the lens to the
image plane, allowing for closer
focusing.
F-stop: Simply, the diameter of
a lens: the greater the diameter,
the more light. More technically
correct, the focal length of the
lens divided by the diameter.
Adjustable by the aperture, a
sliding ring of thin blades that
open and close to control the
effective f-stop. But it can also
refer to the change in lighting
strength, as in, “We reduced the
power of the flash by one-half
stop.” Why the word stop?
Originally the term referred to a
thin metal sheet with a precisely
drilled hole, which slid into a
slot in the lens to stop part of the
light.
Fill Light: Light from a variety of
sources used to lighten shadows.
Could be a white wall, a piece of
white foam board, or a flash.
Filters: Glass or plastic that can
screw onto a lens or be placed
in a lens hood. Depending on
the filter, can alter color, polarize
light, soften an image, add
starburst, and more. <strong>On</strong>e special
filter, the close-up filter, allows
the lens to focus on closer objects
than the lens focusing mount
otherwise allows. Usually of lower
optical quality than an extension
ring, but often acceptable,
especially if we use a close-up
filter from the same manufacturer
that made the lens.
Fluorescent: Long hated by
photographers because of
unpredictable color variation
by manufacturer and by age,
these are becoming a significant
photographic light source.
Nonhousehold, photographicspecialty
fluorescent is no longer
uncommon.
Foam Board: Lightweight
plastic foam sandwiched between
two pieces of heavy paper for