Photography Lingo
If we spend
enough time hangin' around photographers, we've probably heard a lot of phrases that have to do with what we do as photographers.
The problem with these phrases is they're open to interpretation.
And the meaning is dependent on the photographer using it.
This inconsistent use of the phrase from photographer to photographer is confusing at best.
So let's develop a visual vocabulary that is specific to light, camera operation, and compositional
intent instead of relying on inconsistent jargon.
This week's confusing jargon that we don't need to use is:
Photography Lingo: Stopping Up and Stopping Down
Hello ,
The lingo stopping up and stopping down has been thrown around since I remember.
And since the word "stop" is used, many photographers make it about aperture.
And depending on their reference, they can be talking about the f-number or the lens opening size.
And since that's the case, the result of stopping up and down will have opposite effects.
But we don't need to limit the word "stop" to aperture only.
We can also talk about "stops" of shutter speed and ISO.
And since it could apply to all three settings, we can begin to think about stopping up and down to control tonality.
And we can control tonality by increasing or decreasing either component of exposure (aperture and shutter speed) or light sensitivity (ISO).
So instead of saying stopping up or stopping down, why don't we make it about camera operation and
compositional intent?
For example, we increase or decrease exposure to increase or decrease tonality.
We can do the same with ISO. But instead of exposure, it's
about increasing or decreasing light sensitivity to increase or decrease tonality.
And why not be specific to imagine the composition beyond increasing or decreasing tonality?
Here's another example. "I increased tonality by one stop with the aperture and also affected the depth of field."
This way of thinking and speaking about what we do, our visual vocabulary, so to speak, is helpful.
It's a definitive way of being the authority of our work because it adds clarity and precision to our creative process.
And remember, we learn and become better by doing, so practice making at least one picture today.
That’s all for now; thanks for
reading!
Sam
Study and practice photography with
me.
And if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes, we can schedule a one-time lesson or a series of in-person or online one-on-one private instruction that cover the same things as any of my group
classes.
Ways to work with me are listed below.
