Index Of Terms Used In Photo Class

1. Agitation: The inverting and reverting of the developing tank during the developing process. Insures that the chemicals are constantly replenishing themselves to maintain the highest potency and best performance
2. Anti-Halation Backing: The lowest level of chemical in the emulsion on the film surface. It acts as a blocker to the light that has entered the camera and exposed the film. It prevents the light from bouncing in the film and camera after it has exposed the light sensitive film. It neutralizes the action of the light, absorbs it and stops it dead
3. Aperture: Changeable hole in the center of the lens that controls how much light enters the camera during picture taking and affects the depth of field within the picture
4. Balance: Visual stability within a picture
5. Black Bag: A light proof bag that you imput your developing tank, scissors, can opener, and film and you transfer your film from the light proof metal canister to the developing tank without exposing it to light. Looks like an upside down black double walled, doubled zippered T-Shirt with elastic on the sleeves
6. Border: Even white area surrounding the exposure that results from the proper placement of unexposed paper in an easel during exposure. It surrounds your image
7. Burning: It is the adding of additional exposure to a light area of your print after your initial exposure takes place
8. Burning: Deliberate adding of exposure time to a specific area of your print during exposure to compensate for underexposure
9. Can Opener: Used to pry open the metal film canister that holds the exposed film while you load the film into the developing tank
10. Center Tube: Black plastic tube that looks like an enlongated Top Hat that goes up the center of the plastic developing reels inside the developing tank. It’s purpose is to allow chemical into the developing tank while not allowing the light to get in and expose the film
11. Constructive Criticism: Suggestions or comments that are intended to help the artist see objectively improvements that can be made to allow the artwork to be at it’s best
12. Contact Sheet: The proofs of your negatives printed together small on a single page
13. Contact Sheet: Proof Sheet: Thumbnail prints of multiple negatives on a single page that serves as an index of your negatives. Enables photographer to see whether the negative is in focus and worth working on
14. Contrast: Relationship of whites to blacks in a picture. Relationship of 2 opposing elements in a picture
15. Cropping: The intentional or accidental isolation of a part of your print/enlargement. Can be done during printing, picture taking or mounting
16. Darkroom: Room with safe lights that you do your print processing where light sensitive paper will not be affected. Orange lights usually illuminate this room safely
17. Dense: When a negative is dark in appearance due to over exposure or over developing
18. Developer: Chemical that works to make changes in the emulsion bringing to life the l

atent image that was on the film/paper from initial exposure. Must be followed by Stop Bath and Fixer to make image permanent
19. Developing Tank: Metal or Plastic tank that houses a reel that film is loaded onto for processing with the chemicals
20. Dodging: Selective blocking of light for a specific area, within the projected picture, during exposure in the darkroom.
21. Dodging Tool: Paper doll like tool, hand made, used to mask a certain area that is too dark in your enlargement. Often connected to a paper clip so allow for interior dodging within your picture
22. Dynamics: Transporting of the viewer’s attention throughout the picture via the lines within the picture. “Internal movement”
23. Easel: Metal frame that holds your unexposed paper under the enlarger still and straight that adds a self frame of a white even border surrounding the print
24. Enlarger: The machine used to make enlargements in the darkroom. You put your negative into it and a light shines through it downwards to project the image onto the table top
25. Exposure: The transmission of light and image from one source to another
26. F/Stop: Setting label for the Aperture
27. Film: Plastic flat strip that has been sensitized to light by coating it with emulsion that is comprised of several layers of light sensitive materials
28. Filter: Colored plastic or glass that is placed between the light source and the film/paper to be exposed. It assists in creating increased contrast in the enlargement process and special affects when used on the camera during picture taking
29. Fixer: Solution that removes all non permanent parts of the emulsion from the film or paper during processing. Must be captured and disposed of according to local HAZMAT regulations
30. Focal Point: F/P: The main element that the viewer’s eye is attracted to in an enlargement
31. Focusing Ring: Textured ring on the barrel of the lens that when turned will focus the subject you are viewing through the viewfinder. Usually one of 2 formats: Blurry to clear, or Split view
32. Focusing Ring: Rubberized Textured Ring that you turn when you look through the viewfinder to focus the subject you are taking the picture of
33. Framing: Element of Composition which describes a situation where an element is surrounded by something
34. Framing: Compositional element which describes when a focal point is surrounded by something whether literally or figuratively
35. Funnel Cap: Snapping Cap that attaches to the plastic developing tanks that allow chemicals in without allowing light
36. Grain: Micro bits that when enlarged help to establish if the print is focused properly
37. Grain Focuser: Mechanism that acts like a microscope to see the grain in the projected image under the enlarger
38. HAZMAT
39. Horizon Line: Line that represents where the land meets the sky out in the distance
40. Horizontal: Across
41. Hot Shoe: Place where removeable flash is attached to the camera body

42. Illuminate: Light up
43. Image: Hologram like picture of your negative being projected from the enlarger
44. Intervals: Time gaps that are used to make a Test Strip
45. Latent Image: Invisible image that has been imprinted onto the un-developed paper or film. Undetectable by the naked eye until it is developed, the latent image will last a long time and if you are not careful and separate the exposed paper from regular paper you might re-expose it accidentally.
46. Lines: Thin, thick straight, curved, “s” Parallel, overlapping, Intersecting
47. Mask: Block an area
48. Matting: The cutting of a window out of a Matt board for presentation of an enlargement so only the picture is showing
49. Merger: Poor ones and Good ones: When shapes in the 3-D world overlap in the 2-D Picture plane of a photograph. Sometimes these illusions form an interesting new image, while sometimes the subject is compromised by conflicting elements. (Such as: A tree limb appears to be poking out of a person’s head while the tree trunk is blocked by the subject’s body)
50. Mirrors: Mechanism inside camera that allows the viewfinder to view through the lens even if it is not in line with the lens. Prevents paralax Error
51. Mounting: Adhering an enlargement to the pre-measured surface of a backing board creating an even border
52. MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheets that provide the user with all pertinent information about a chemical including what to do in case of contamination or ingestion
53. Negative: Reverse image on film that when light is projected through makes a positive enlargement
54. Nine Grid Zone: Rule of Thirds: the overlapping literally or theoretically of a tic-tac-toe board. This process enables you to locate the placement of the Focal Point and determine whether you as a photographer have a pattern of placement. Center, Center top, Center-Bottom, Right top, Right-Center, Right Bottom, Left Top, Left-Center, Left Bottom
55. None: Amount of light acceptable to expose unprocessed film to
56. Over exposure: When a print/film is produced with dark or dense results
57. Pan: Panning: To move the camera by following the subject that is moving to make the subject in focus and the background racing by behind it.
58. Paralax Error: The shifting of the visual plane that occurs when the camera is close to the subject and there are no mirror with in the camera and the lens sees differently what the viewfinder sees
59. Point of View: P.O.V.: The angle from which a picture is taken. Often referred to in terms of “Bird’s eye view”, “Ground hog view”, or Eye level
60. PPE: Personal Protection Equipment: Such as Tongs, Protective Eye Wear, Smocks, gloves, etc...
61. Reel: Plastic or Metal spool that you load film that has not been processed onto for developing in a tank
62. Registration Marks: Small marks made onto the matting board or mounting board identifying where you are to adhere the print to or where you are to cut. These marks help you line up your print to stick it down evenly.
63. Safelight: Orange/Amber lights that illuminate the darkroom somewhat without risking exposure to paper. Not safe for undeveloped film.
64. Self-Framing: White border that appears from using an easel to hold yor light sensitive paper during exposure under the enlarger
65. Shutter: Mechanism that opens and closes during picture taking. It is activated by depressing the shutter release button located on top right of camera body
66. Simplicity: Element of composition that indicates that the photographer limited the elements to something simple, non confusing. Singular non-busy image.
67. Solarization: Sabbatier Affect: The process of re-exposing a print to white light after it has begun but not finished the chemical processing. The order is expose the paper with a latent image, develop it, using a tray (to prevent dripping developer on floor or in enlarger booth) place under white light for short time (watch for visual change in appearance of print) then immediately put print into stop bath and fixer as normal. Enlargement will have taken on a surreal like quality as well as a chrome like affect.
68. Stop-Bath: Solution that stops the action of the developer
69. Thin: Negatives look light in value from under exposing or under developing
70. Tongs: Metal or bamboo tweezer like tool used to handle photographic paper while in the chemicals PPE*
71. Under exposure: When a print/film is produced with light or thin results
72. Underexposure: Light exposure, usually correctable by adding more time
73. Value: Where the blacks/grays fall on the gray scale 1-10. Can also be for colors
74. Verticle: Up and down
75. ViewFinder: Window that the photographer’s eye sees the subject through