Low Key Lighting - Definition

Low key Lighting is a studio lighting technique that used a spotlight  to channel the light into a narrow beam, which you focus on a part of your subject. It creates a hard shadow.

Here is an example of a low key beauty photo. The light has been focused on the subject's forehead, meaning some hard shadows have been cast across his face, specifically under his chin and nose.

High Key Lighting - Definition

High Key Lighting is a lighting technique that involves using mid-tone greys through to bright whites. It enhances the highlights of somebody's face. In a high key photo, there is a noticeable lack of contrast and hard shadows. The images are generally very bright.

Although this has been converted to black and white, it is still clear that it was taken using high key lighting. The background has been lit using backlights and overexposed, most likely by two stops more than the key light. The Key light was either a beauty dish or a soft light, as the lighting on the subject's face is very soft. I can guess that in this image, a fill light wasn't used, as the shadows made by her face were minimal and not very full.

Multiple Exposure - Definition

In photography, a multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image. It is sometimes referred to as double exposure, which is when there are specifically two exposures made into one image. These can be made using in camera settings that impose a set amount of images together or through overlaying images in Photoshop.

Here is an example of a double/ multiple exposure image. You can clearly see that there are two exposures that make up this image; an exposure of the man and an exposure of the city, which have been imposed together to create the image. This was likely made using an in camera setting that imposes multiple images together.

Multiple Flash - Definition

Multiple flash is a technique that incorporates several flashes within one exposure. You will need either one flashgun that will fire several times, or several flashguns to fire at intervals. The resulting image will show several stages of movement, each lit up by flash.

Here is an example of a multiple flash image. From this image, you can see how she moved; starting with her arms by her side and moving them up before putting her hands together above her head. You can see four different positions in her movement, meaning the flash has been fired four times during an exposure of around 3 seconds.

Sequencing - Definition

Sequence photography is the technique of shooting a series of images in where the subject is captured in successive motion. Sequence photography is a good way to show the movement of an object or person; it's similar to stop motion animation, as it creates a sense of motion from a series of photos, however, instead of a moving image, it's a still image.
Here is an example of a photo sequence. This image is made up of eight images that have been placed together in Photoshop, likely through cutting each image of the person out and pasting it onto the first image taken. This image shows the motion of a windsurfer jumping off the surface of the water and landing again.

Animation - Definition

Stop motion animation is an animation technique that puts a set of still images together to make something that appears to be moving. It is often used to animate models, such as lego and clay models, though it can be used to make a series of photographs of a person into an animation in which they move, or any other series of photos into a moving video.

Here is an example of the use of stop motion animation in photography. This has been made into a .gif format, meaning it loops infinitely. This animation has been made up of 51 frames, meaning it has a low frame rate, which is clear from the jerky movements of the subject. Some photographers use a low frame rate to make it clear that it's not actual motion, which I think was the intention with this animation.

Macro - definition

Macro photography is a type of close up photography that involves making small things look larger than life. Macro photographs are generally taken within 30cm of the subject, using a lens with a focal length of 50mm or more. The closer you zoom into your subject, the more detail you will be able to capture. Here are some examples of macro photography.

This image has an incredibly narrow depth of field; only a small part of the already small object is in focus, while the rest is heavily out of focus. You can see where the focal zone is based on the line that is in focus along the surface that the nail has been placed on. Where the nail is in focus, you can see a very high level of detail. You can see some extremely rough textures in the metal, as well as some rust near the bottom of the nail, which is a muted shade of red.

This is a photo that has been taken from a very close up perspective, most likely using a lens with a focal length over 60mm. This image also has a very narrow depth of field, with just the letter U in focus. Around the letter, there are some very bumpy textures shown in close up detail.

Slow Sync - Definition

Slow sync flash is just a fancy term for using your flash with a slow shutter speed. It helps you keep your subject sharp while capturing motion or a dark background.

Blur - Definition

Blur is a photographic technique that involves capturing motion using a long exposure. The result is an image of movement that has been distorted and the subject is less distinct than it would be from still photography.

Location Portraiture - Definition

Location portraiture is a type of portrait photography that takes place on location somewhere in the outside world rather than the typical studio environment in which a portrait is taken. Many Location Portrait photographers such as Alec Soth use it as a means of telling stories of an individual, meaning they often fit into the category of documentary photography.

Focal Length Experimentation - Definition

A prime Lens has a fixed focal length and does not zoom in any way - It is often used for Landscape and portrait photography.

A zoom lens can change its focal length within the lens' designated range. They are often used by press as they would require to take photo both at wide angle and telephoto in quick succession.

Field of View is determined by the angle of view from the lens out to the scene.

Focal Length is the distance between the end of the lens and the subject it's focussing on.

In 35mm photography, a standard lens would have a focal length of 50mm. It would be referred to as a "normal" lens as it neither magnifies or reduces the image. It would have a field of view of 46˚.

Wide angle lenses have a short focal length to capture more. They capture more because they have a wide picture angle, unlike telephoto lenses, which have a narrower picture angle.

Wide Angle Closeup - Definition

A wide angle closeup shot is a shot in which you shoot with the camera close to your subject, but rather than zooming in, you shoot fully zoomed out. In terms of focal length, any lens with a focal length of of 35mm or less is considered to be a wide angle lens. Therefore, a photo taken from a close up perspective with a focal length of 35mm or less is considered a wide angle closeup image. Wide angle close up photos are usually taken using a wide aperture, as this will create a narrow depth of field, focusing sharply on your subject and not on the background.

Here as example of a wide angle closeup image. The subject of the photo is a swan that was very close up to the camera. This image has been taken as a very wide angle, as you can see a lot of the background as well as the swan in the foreground.