Lighting & Flash — 60 Terms Defined

Hard Light Lighting & Flash Light from a source that is small relative to the subject, producing sharply defined shadows with abrupt edges.

High-key Lighting Lighting & Flash A lighting approach in which most tones sit in the upper half of the range, with few dark shadows and a bright background.

High-speed Sync Lighting & Flash stops lost A flash mode that fires a rapid train of pulses during the whole travel of the shutter slit, allowing flash above the normal sync speed.

Honeycomb Grid Lighting & Flash degrees (10°, 20°, 30°, 40°) A cellular insert placed over a light that narrows its beam by absorbing rays travelling at wide angles.

Inverse Square Law Lighting & Flash stops (EV) The rule that light from a point source falls off in proportion to the square of the distance, so doubling the distance quarters the illumination. E ∝ 1 / d²

Key Light Lighting & Flash f-stops (EV) The dominant light in a setup, which establishes the direction of the shadows and the overall exposure.

LED Panel Lighting & Flash lux at 1 m A flat array of light-emitting diodes providing continuous, dimmable and often colour-adjustable illumination.

Light Falloff Lighting & Flash stops (EV) The rate at which illumination decreases with distance from the source, across the subject or into the background. E ∝ 1 / d²

Lighting Ratio Lighting & Flash ratio / stops The relationship between the illumination on the lit side of a subject and that on the shadow side, expressed as a ratio or in stops. Ratio = (key + fill) : fill

Loop Lighting Lighting & Flash A portrait pattern in which the nose casts a small loop-shaped shadow onto the cheek without touching the cheek shadow.

Low-key Lighting Lighting & Flash A lighting approach in which most tones sit in the lower half of the range, with a small lit area surrounded by darkness.

Manual Flash Lighting & Flash fraction (1/1, 1/2, 1/4…) Setting flash output as a fixed fraction of full power, so every frame receives an identical burst. Power = full / 2ⁿ

Modelling Light Lighting & Flash W A continuous lamp built into a flash head that previews where the shadows will fall.

Monolight Lighting & Flash Ws (watt-seconds) A self-contained studio flash with its power supply, controls and modelling lamp built into a single head.

Octabox Lighting & Flash cm An eight-sided softbox whose near-circular shape produces round catchlights and even wrap-around light.

Open Shade Lighting & Flash An area shielded from direct sun but open to a large expanse of sky, giving soft, even illumination.

Optical Slave Lighting & Flash m (range) A sensor that fires a flash when it detects the light from another flash.

Practical Light Lighting & Flash A light source that appears within the frame as part of the scene, such as a lamp, candle or neon sign.

Radio Trigger Lighting & Flash m (range) A transmitter on the camera and receivers on the flashes that fire them by radio signal.

Rear-curtain Sync Lighting & Flash A setting that fires the flash at the end of the exposure rather than the beginning, so motion trails follow the subject rather than preceding it.

Recycle Time Lighting & Flash seconds The interval a flash needs to recharge its capacitor to full power after firing.

Reflector Lighting & Flash stops A panel that bounces existing light back into the shadows, adding fill without a second light source.

Rembrandt Lighting Lighting & Flash A portrait pattern in which a small triangle of light appears on the shadowed cheek, below the eye.

Rim Light Lighting & Flash f-stops (EV) A light placed behind and to one side of the subject that draws a bright edge along its outline, separating it from the background.