Motion, Video & Creative Techniques — 60 Terms Defined

Levitation Photography Motion, Video & Creative Techniques count A composite technique creating the appearance of a subject floating, by combining a supported pose with a clean background frame.

Light Painting Motion, Video & Creative Techniques seconds Illuminating a scene, or drawing in the air, with a moving light source during a long exposure.

Light Trails Motion, Video & Creative Techniques seconds Continuous streaks recorded when a moving light source crosses the frame during a long exposure.

Log Profile Motion, Video & Creative Techniques stops A recording curve that stores tonal information logarithmically to preserve maximum dynamic range for grading.

Long Exposure Motion, Video & Creative Techniques seconds An exposure lasting long enough that moving elements record as blur or streaks while static ones stay sharp.

Motion Blur Motion, Video & Creative Techniques px The smearing of a moving subject across the frame during exposure.

Multiple Exposure Motion, Video & Creative Techniques count Combining two or more exposures onto a single frame, either in camera or during processing.

Optical Image Stabilisation Motion, Video & Creative Techniques stops Stabilisation achieved by moving a lens group to counteract camera shake.

Overcranking Motion, Video & Creative Techniques fps Running a camera faster than the intended playback rate, the traditional term for capturing slow motion.

Panning Motion, Video & Creative Techniques seconds Following a moving subject with the camera during a relatively long exposure, so the subject stays sharp and the background streaks.

Photogrammetry Motion, Video & Creative Techniques count Deriving three-dimensional measurements and models from a set of overlapping photographs.

Photomicrography Motion, Video & Creative Techniques × magnification Photography through a microscope, recording subjects at magnifications far beyond macro.

Prism Refraction Motion, Video & Creative Techniques Holding a prism, glass or crystal in front of the lens to bend light and introduce reflections, flares and repeated fragments.

Proxy Media Motion, Video & Creative Techniques px Low-resolution copies of footage used for editing, replaced by the originals for final rendering.

Rack Focus Motion, Video & Creative Techniques seconds Shifting focus from one subject to another during a shot, moving the viewer's attention deliberately.

Raw Video Motion, Video & Creative Techniques MB/s Video recorded as minimally processed sensor data, with white balance, colour and tone left adjustable afterwards.

Reflection Photography Motion, Video & Creative Techniques Using reflective surfaces — water, glass, metal, screens — as a compositional device rather than a nuisance.

Shadow Play Motion, Video & Creative Techniques Using cast shadows as the primary graphic element of a photograph.

Shaped Bokeh Motion, Video & Creative Techniques mm (aperture cut-out) Rendering out-of-focus highlights as a chosen shape by placing a cut-out mask over the lens.

Shutter Angle Motion, Video & Creative Techniques degrees A way of expressing shutter speed relative to frame rate, inherited from the rotating disc shutters of film cameras. Shutter speed = 1 / (fps × 360/angle)

Silhouette Motion, Video & Creative Techniques stops An image in which the subject is rendered as a dark shape against a much brighter background.

Slow Motion Motion, Video & Creative Techniques × Footage recorded at a higher frame rate than its playback rate, so action appears to unfold more slowly. Slowdown = capture fps / playback fps

Slow Sync Flash Motion, Video & Creative Techniques seconds Combining flash with a shutter speed long enough for ambient light to register, so a sharp subject sits within a blurred environment.

Star Tracker Motion, Video & Creative Techniques arcsec/s A motorised mount that rotates the camera to match the Earth's rotation, allowing long exposures without star trailing. Sidereal rate = 15.04″/s