Glossary
exposure meter A built-in or handheld device that measures light in terms of photographic exposure, such as ISO, shutter speed, and f-stop. A reflectedlight meter measures light reflected from a scene. This is the sort of light meter built into a dSLR camera. An incident-light meter measures the light falling onto a particular point. Most handheld meters are this type. Some handheld meters measure reflected light from a broad area, and others called spot meters measure light from a very narrow area. Some handheld meters measure both incident- and reflected-light metering. Most cameras have a variety of metering modes, all of which are based on reflected light. exposure modes Camera settings that allow the photographer to take photos in a variety of modes such as Programmed Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, or Manual for specific situations. See also Scene mode. Flash Exposure (FE) lock A feature that allows you to obtain the correct flash exposure and then lock that setting in by pressing the FE lock button. You can then recompose the shot, with the subject either on the right or the left, and take the picture with the camera retaining the proper flash exposure for the subject. f-stop A number that expresses the diameter of the entrance pupil in terms of the focal length of the lens; the f-number is also the focal length divided by the effective aperture diameter. See also aperture.
fill flash/fill in flash A lighting technique where the flash provides enough light to illuminate the subject in order to eliminate, reduce, or open shadowed areas. Using a flash for outdoor portraits often brightens the subject in conditions where the camera meters light from a broader scene. flare Unwanted light reflecting and scattering inside the lens, causing a loss of contrast and sharpness and/or artifacts in the image. flash An electronic light source that produces an instant flash of light when the shutter is opened in order to illuminate a scene. Studio pack and head systems, monolights, ringlights, and speedlights are all types of flashes. flash exposure bracketing Taking a series of exposures while adjusting the flash exposure compensation up or down to ensure capturing the correct flash exposure. flash exposure compensation FEC adjusts the speedlight’s output to increase or decrease the amount of light output. If images are too dark (underexposed), use flash exposure compensation to increase the flash output. If images are too bright (overexposed), use flash exposure compensation to reduce the flash output. flash head The part of the flash assembly that houses the flash tube that fires when taking a flash photo. Flash heads can be adjusted for position. See also flash head tilting. 273
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