Photography glossary - F
f numbers f-stops A numerical designation (f/2, f 2.8, f3 etc.) indicating the size of the aperture.
Factor - number that tells how many times exposure must be
increased in order to compensate from loss of light.
Fahrenheit scale - scale of temperature named after its German
originator, G. D. Fahrenheit. On this scale, the freezing point of
water is 32° F, and the boiling point of water is 212° F.
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False attachment - part of one object seen behind another so
that lines, shapes or tones seem to join up. A composition device
used in various ways to produce images in which foreground and
background objects appear to occupy the same plane.
Farmer''''''''''''''''s reducer - used for bleaching negatives and prints.
See reducers
Farraday shutter - high-speed shutter using a pair of crossed
polarizers, between which is a glass block within a coil. When a
voltage passes through the coil, the plane of polarization changes,
allowing light to pass through the second polarizer.
Fast film - film which has an emulsion that is very sensitive to
light. These films have high ISO ratings.
Fast lens - lens with a wide maximum aperture (low f number).
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions.
FDD - Flexible or Floppy Disc Drive. A storage medium with a capacity of 1.44 megabytes (MB).
Ferric chloride - bleaching solution used on negative materials.
Ferrotype process - method of creating direct positive images
with dark enameled metal plates as a base. Also known as the tin-
type process.
Fiber based paper - photographic paper without a resin coating.
Processing times are longer than for other papers, but the paper is
more archivally permanent.
Field camera - sheet film camera suitable for use in location work.
File – A computer document.
Fill-in - light used to illuminate the shadow areas of a scene.
Fill light - source of illumination that lightens shadows. See Fill-in.
Fill flash – A flash technique used to brighten deep shadow areas, typically
outdoors on sunny days. Some digital cameras include a fill flash mode that forces
the flash to fire, even in bright light.
Film - photographic material consisting of a thin transparent
plastic base coated with a light sensitive emulsion.
Film characteristic curve - describes a graphical relationship
between the logarithm of the exposure value (horizontal axis) and
density (vertical axis) of film. Each brand of film exhibits a different
characteristic curve.
Film clips- metal or plastic clips used to prevent the curling of a
length of drying film.
Film holder - light tight container to hold sheet film.
Film pack - container holding several sheets of film, so devised
that when fitted to the camera the photographer can pull a tab to
remove an exposed sheet and replace it with another. Film packs
are typical with Polaroid film.
Film plane - plane at the back of the camera across which the
film lies.
Film speed - See film sensitivity.
Film sensitivity - The information is given in →ISO value, which has replaced the earlier DIN and ASA (American Standard Association).
Film scanner - Hardware for digitising negatives and slides.
Filter factor - number by which an unfiltered exposure reading
must be multiplied to give the same effective exposure through the
filter. This compensates for the absorption of light by the filter. This
process is unnecessary with TTL metering systems as long as the
filter is attached during the metering process.
Filters- colored glass, gelatin or plastic disks, which modify the
light passing through them, mainly in terms of color content. They
can be used at the camera or printing stages.
Filter (software) - An option in an image editing program
File A set of data that has been arranged according to specific rules. Files are managed in the computer by the operating system and can be stored long-term on an external storage medium.
File format - Describes the contents of files. Common file formats include .txt for a text file, .eps (Encapsulated PostScript) for PostScript, and .tif for "TIFF"-images.
Finality development - prolonged development, reducing silver
halides affected by light to silver until no further image density
improvement occurs.
Finder - abbreviation for viewfinder.
Fine grain developers - film developers which help to keep grain
size in the photographic image to a minimum.
Firewire A type of cabling technology for transferring data to and from digital devices at high speed. Some professional digital cameras and memory card readers connect to the computer over FireWire. FireWire card readers are typically faster than those that connect via USB. Also known as IEEE 1394, FireWire was invented by Apple Computer but is now commonly used with Windows-based PCs as well.
Fisheye lens - extreme wide-angle lens with an angle of view
exceeding 100° and sometimes in excess of 180°. Depth of field is
practically infinite and focusing is not required.
Firmware - Software contained in ROM that manages the camera’s operation.
First rights. - The Photogrpaher gives the purchaser the rights to reproduce the work for first tim and usually agrees to not permit the use or publication of the image for a certain amount of time.
Fixation - chemical bath which converts unused halides to a
soluble silver complex in both negatives and prints, making the
image stable in white light.
Fixed focal length - camera system whose lens cannot be
interchanged for a lens of different focal length.
Fixed focus - A lens, which is preset to a given focus, distance in order to provide the maximum depth of field.
Fixer - chemical solution used for fixation.
Flare - non-image forming light scattered by the lens or reflected
from the camera interior.
Flash - artificial light source giving brief but very bright
illumination. It is produced by a combination of certain gases within
a transparent tube. Modern flashes work with glass discharge tubes. Computerised camera flashes can measure and automatically control their intensity by means of a
Flash bulb - replaceable bulb for use in expendable flash units. A
glass bulb contains a pyrotechnic wire or paste which burns out in
a brilliant flash when a low voltage firing current is applied.
Flash cube - obsolete bulb containing four small flash bulbs built
into a single unit.
Flash factor (guide number)- number which provides a guide to correct exposure
when using flash. See also Guide number.
Flashing - briefly and evenly exposing photographic materials to
white light.Often used to lower contrast of printing paper, when the
flashing exposure is made in addition to the regular exposure.
Flash duration The length of time the light from the flash source "lives". For high speed photography as short flash duration as possible is needed.
Flash Memory Card A card containing chips that store images.
Flash Memory Reader An accessory that attaches to your computer by cable and allows your computer to read directly from a flash memory card.
Flash powder - chemical powder consisting of a mixture of
metallic magnesium and an oxidizing agent. Ignited by heat to
produce a brilliant flash of light.
Flash range - The distance needed to be covered by the flash to give the subject optimal illumination. This can be calculated using Lambert’s law. As the distance from the light source is doubled only a quarter of the original amount of light will reach the subject. (Guide number)
Flash RAM (Flash Random Access Memory) Rewritable memory often used for temporarily storing information such as digital pictures.
Flash-ROM - A type of memory storage that can retain information even after the power has been switched off. Unlike conventional ROM, the contents of a Flash-ROM can be deleted and rewritten with the help of a pre-programmed electrical current. Therefore, a Flash-ROM is a combination of RAM and ROM.
Flash synchronization - method of synchronizing flash light
duration with maximum shutter opening. Some cameras allow you to synchronize the beginning or end of the shutter.
FlashPath Adapter - Permits the trouble-free transfer of digital images saved on SmartMedia cards to a PC. The storage cards need only be inserted into the adapter and then in the computer’s disk drive.
Flash Film - Attachment for certain digital cameras that digitises 35 mm, APS negatives, and slides.
Flat - used to describe a negative or print with very low contrast.
Flat-bed camera - camera designed for copying artwork and
documents. Mounted on a vertical column, like an enlarger,
allowing the photographer to accommodate different documents or
artwork for duplication.
Flat Bed Scanner An optical scanner in which the original image remains stationary while the sensors pass over or under it.
Flat gradation - subjective term used to describe low-contrast
values.
Flat lighting - lighting that produces very little contrast or
modeling on the subject and a minimum of shadows.
Floating elements - one or more elements in a lens which adjust
position relative to other components during focusing or zooming.
Used to maintain correction of lens aberrations at all settings.
Floodlight - artificial light source with a dish shaped reflector and
a 125-500+ watt tungsten filament lamp producing evenly spread
illumination over the subject.
Fluorescent whites - brilliant highlights produced by applying a
fluorescent agent to a printing paper base. The print can also be
treated after washing with a fluorescent whitener or dye solution.
f numbers - numbers on the lens barrel indicating the size of the
aperture relative to the focal length of the lens. f numbers are
calculated by dividing the focal length of the lens by the effective
diameter of the aperture.
Focal length - The distance from the optical center of the lens to the image sensor when the lens is focused on infinity, usually expressed in millimeters.. Normal focal length gives an image impression roughly corresponding to that of the human eye (about 50 mm in conventional film cameras and about 7 mm in digital cameras with 1/3" CCD)
Focal plane - imaginary line perpendicular to the optical axis
which passes through the focal point. It forms the plane of sharp
focus when the lens is set at infinity
Focal plane shutter - shutter which lies just in front of the focal
plane. Light sensitive film positioned at the focal plane is
progressively exposed as the shutter blinds move across it.
Focal point - point of light on the optical axis where all rays of
light from a given subject meet at a common point of sharp focus.
Focus - position in which rays of light from a lens converge to
form a sharp image.
Focusing- system of moving the lens in relation to the image
plane so as to obtain the required degree of sharpness of the film.
Focusing cloth - dark cloth used in view camera photography.
Focusing hood - light proof cowl used on TLR and most roll film
SLR cameras to prevent extraneous light falling on the focusing
screen.
Focusing magnifier - device to magnify the optical image and aid
visual focusing.
Focusing scale - scale of distances marked on a lens focusing
ring.
Focusing screen - ground glass screen fixed to the camera at the
image-forming plane, enabling the image to be viewed and
focused.
Focus range - range within which a camera is able to focus on
the selected picture subject.
Fogging (Fog) - produces an overall veil of density on a negative
or print, which does not form part of the image. It can be achieved
by chemicals or exposing the sensitive material to light.
Fog level - density formed in unexposed areas of film or paper
during processing.
folders - the destination for images/files being downloaded to a computer
Foreground - area in an image closer than the main subject.
Format - 1.size of negative paper or camera viewing area.
2. the type of file association (jpeg, mpeg, gif, etc...)
3. (to format) to erase and reset a disk/storage media so that new information can be recorded/stored
Four-color printing - A printing process in which four primary printing inks are run in four separate passes on the press to create the visual effect of a full color photo as in magazines
FPX (FlashPiX) An image format that contains a number of resolutions, each of which is broken into tiles that can be edited and displayed independently.
Frame 1. single exposure on a roll of film. 2. viewfinder image
boundary.
3. Decorative border applied to finished, mounted prints.
Frames per second (fps) - used to describe how many frames
can a motor drive or winder handle automatically.
Frame Rate The number of frames that are shown or sent each second. Live action relates to a frame rate of 30 frames per second.
Frame One of the still pictures that make up a video.
Frame Grabber A device that lets you capture individual frames out of a video camera or off a video tape.
Free working distance - distance between the front of the lens
and the subject.
Fresnel lens - condenser lens used on a spotlight to gather
together the rays of light coming from a source and direct them
into a narrow beam.
Fresnel magnifier - condenser lens used at the center of some
ground glass viewing screens to aid focusing.
Frilling - wrinkling and separation of the emulsion along the
edges of its support material.
Front curtain synchronization - when the flash fires an instant
after the front curtain of a focal plane shutter has completed its
travel across the film plane.
Fringing A white fringe appearing on the edges of objects in the image.
Front element focusing - system of lens focusing in which only
the front component of a compound lens moves backward and
forward to adjust focus.
Front projection - method of projection which allows you to
combine a figure in a studio with a previously photographed
background scene. The image is projected from the camera
position onto a special reflective background screen.
F stop - number that equals the focal length of the lens divided by
the diameter of the aperture.
Full scale print - print having a wide range of tonalities.
Futurism - art movement started in Italy c. 1910, characterized by
an aggressive rejection of tradition, and the representation of the
dynamic movement of machinery.
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