Lighting & Flash
60 terms · page 1 of 3
Background Light
A light aimed at the backdrop rather than the subject, controlling how bright or dark the background renders.
Lighting & FlashBacklighting
Placing the main light source behind the subject, so it faces the camera rather than illuminating the subject's front.
Lighting & FlashBarn Doors
Four hinged flaps mounted on the front of a light to cut its beam into a rectangle.
Lighting & FlashBeauty Dish
A shallow metal parabolic reflector with a central deflector, producing light that is soft in transition yet crisp in its specular…
Lighting & FlashBlue Hour
The twilight period before sunrise and after sunset when the sun is below the horizon and the sky glows an even, saturated blue.
Lighting & FlashBounce Flash
Aiming a flash at a ceiling or wall so the reflected light, not the direct beam, illuminates the subject.
Lighting & FlashBroad Lighting
A portrait approach in which the side of the face turned toward the camera is the lit side.
Lighting & FlashButterfly Lighting
A portrait pattern with the key placed directly in front of and above the face, casting a small butterfly-shaped shadow beneath the nose.
Lighting & FlashCatchlight
The reflection of a light source visible in a subject's eye.
Lighting & FlashClamshell Lighting
A beauty setup with one soft source above the face and a reflector or second source directly below, both facing the subject.
Lighting & FlashColour Gel
A translucent coloured sheet placed over a light to change the colour of its output.
Lighting & FlashContinuous Lighting
Lighting that stays on constantly rather than firing a brief burst, so its effect is visible before exposure.
Lighting & FlashCTO Gel
A colour temperature orange gel that warms a daylight-balanced source to match tungsten light.
Lighting & FlashDiffusion Panel
A frame holding translucent fabric, used to enlarge and soften a light source placed behind it.
Lighting & FlashFeathering
Aiming a light so the subject is lit by the softer edge of its beam rather than its centre.
Lighting & FlashFill Light
A secondary, weaker light or reflector used to raise the shadows the key light casts, controlling contrast.
Lighting & FlashFlag
An opaque black panel placed to block light from reaching a specific area.
Lighting & FlashFlash Duration
How long a flash's burst of light actually lasts, which sets its ability to freeze motion independently of shutter speed.
Lighting & FlashFlash Exposure Compensation
An offset applied to TTL flash output, in stops, independent of the ambient exposure compensation.
Lighting & FlashFlash Exposure Lock
A control that fires the metering preflash in advance and holds the resulting power setting for subsequent frames.
Lighting & FlashFlash Sync Speed
The fastest shutter speed at which a focal-plane shutter is fully open, and therefore the fastest speed at which flash can light the whole…
Lighting & FlashGobo
An opaque cut-out or template placed in a light's beam to cast a shaped pattern onto a subject or background.
Lighting & FlashGolden Hour
The period shortly after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is low, and its light is warm, soft and strongly directional.
Lighting & FlashGuide Number
A measure of a flash's power, equal to the product of the correct aperture and the subject distance at a stated ISO.