Lighting & Flash — 60 Terms Defined

Ring Flash Lighting & Flash GN (guide number) A flash tube arranged in a circle around the lens, producing nearly shadowless frontal light.

Scrim Lighting & Flash stops A translucent panel placed in front of a light to reduce and soften it without changing its position.

Short Lighting Lighting & Flash A portrait approach in which the side of the face turned away from the camera is the lit side.

Snoot Lighting & Flash degrees (beam angle) A tube fitted to a light to restrict its beam to a narrow circle.

Soft Light Lighting & Flash Light from a source that is large relative to the subject, producing shadows with gradual, feathered edges.

Softbox Lighting & Flash cm A fabric enclosure with a diffusion panel on the front that turns a small light source into a large, even one.

Specular Highlight Lighting & Flash A mirror-like reflection of the light source itself on a glossy surface, rather than light diffusely scattered by it.

Speedlight Lighting & Flash GN (guide number) A small, portable, battery-powered flash designed to sit on a camera's hot shoe or a light stand.

Split Lighting Lighting & Flash A portrait pattern in which the key comes from directly to one side, lighting exactly half the face and leaving the other in shadow.

Three-point Lighting Lighting & Flash The standard setup of key, fill and rim lights that models a subject and separates it from the background.

TTL Flash Metering Lighting & Flash stops (EV) Automatic flash exposure in which the camera fires a brief preflash, measures the light returning through the lens, and sets the main burst accordingly.

Umbrella Lighting & Flash cm A collapsible reflective or translucent modifier that spreads light quickly and cheaply over a wide area.