Browse All 840 Photography Terms A–Z

Lossy Compression Files, Metadata & Workflow ratio Compression that permanently discards image information judged least perceptible, in exchange for much smaller files.

Low Angle Composition & Visual Design degrees A viewpoint below the subject, looking upward.

Low-dispersion Glass Optics, Lenses & Filters count Special optical glass, marketed as ED, UD, LD or SLD, that bends different wavelengths by more nearly equal amounts.

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.

Low-light AF Rating Focus & Depth of Field EV The dimmest light level at which a camera's autofocus is specified to work, quoted in EV at a stated aperture and ISO.

LPI Printing, Display & Output lpi Lines per inch: the frequency of the halftone screen used in commercial printing. ppi ≈ 2 × lpi

Luminance Exposure & Metering cd/m² (nits) The brightness of a surface as seen from a given direction, measured in candela per square metre. L = I / A

Luminance Noise Reduction Post-Processing & Retouching % Processing that smooths brightness variation between neighbouring pixels to reduce the appearance of grain.

Luminosity Mask Post-Processing & Retouching A mask generated from the image's own brightness values, restricting an adjustment to a specific tonal range.

Lustre Surface Printing, Display & Output A semi-gloss paper finish with a fine texture, offering much of gloss's density with reduced reflection.

Macro Lens Optics, Lenses & Filters magnification ratio A lens corrected for close focusing that reproduces a subject at life size or larger on the sensor. m = image size / subject size

Macro Photography Genres, Movements & Theory magnification ratio Photography at magnifications approaching or exceeding life size, revealing detail invisible to the unaided eye. m ≥ 1:1

Magnification Ratio Focus & Depth of Field ratio The ratio between the size of a subject and the size of its image on the sensor. m = image size / subject size

Magnum Photos Genres, Movements & Theory A photographers' cooperative founded in 1947 to let its members retain copyright and control over their own work.

Manipulation Standards Genres, Movements & Theory The rules defining what processing is permissible in a given field of photography.

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

Manual Focus Focus & Depth of Field m Focusing by turning the lens ring by hand while judging sharpness visually or by scale.

Manual Mode Exposure & Metering A mode, marked M, in which the photographer sets aperture and shutter speed directly and the camera only advises.

Mat Board Printing, Display & Output mm A card window placed over a print inside a frame, separating it from the glazing and providing visual space.

Matte Paper Printing, Display & Output Paper with a non-reflective surface that scatters light diffusely, giving a soft appearance free of glare.

Mechanical Vignetting Optics, Lenses & Filters Corner darkening or hard cut-off caused by an accessory physically intruding into the lens's field of view.

Medium Format Cameras, Formats & Systems mm Any format larger than 35 mm but smaller than 4×5 inches, covering film frames from 6×4.5 to 6×17 cm and digital sensors around 44×33 mm.

Megapixel Sensors & Digital Capture MP One million pixels, the standard unit for stating a sensor's resolution. MP = width × height / 1,000,000

Metadata Files, Metadata & Workflow Information stored within or alongside an image file that describes the picture rather than forming part of it.

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