Photography Terminology and Processes

Study Notes

Photography Terminology and Processes

Pantograph: A device for enlarging or reducing images.
Physionotrace: A method of tracing or copying physical features.
Silhouette: A dark image against a light background, often created by tracing or removing the background.
Camera lucida: A device that allows one to draw what one sees through it.
Camera obscura: A darkened enclosure with a small aperture, projecting an image on the opposite surface.
Sun printing: A process that uses sunlight to create images on sensitized materials.
Heliography: A method of making images by exposing a chemical substance to light.
Daguerreotype: An early photographic process that produces a positive image on a silver-plated copper plate.
Calotype: A photographic process that produces positive and negative images on paper.
Collodion (wet-plate): An early photographic process that uses collodion-coated glass as a support.
Albumen paper: A photographic paper coated with egg white.
Combination printing: Combining different photographic processes or techniques.
Negative/positive/direct positive: Techniques for creating photographic images, with positives and negatives and direct positive methods.
3-part laminar structure of photographs: A layered structure relating to some photo printing processes.
Latent image: An invisible image created by light exposure on a photosensitive material.
Tintype: A photographic process that produces a positive image on a thin metal plate.
Ambrotype: A photographic process that produces a positive image on glass.
Cartes de visites: Small photographic cards, often used as visiting cards.
Cyanotype: A photographic printing process that produces images in various shades of blue.
Stereoscopy/stereograph: A technique to create the view of three dimensions from multiple images.
Dry plate: A photographic process using a glass plate coated with gelatin containing light-sensitive materials.
Instantaneous photography: A very fast photographic process.
Snapshot: A very quick photograph, often taken spontaneously.
Kodak: A well-known photographic company.
Magic lantern: An early form of a slide projector.
Magnesium flash: A flash source that uses magnesium for a bright light.
Pictorialism: A photographic movement that emphasizes artistic composition rather than precise technical accuracy.
Salt print: An early photographic process that produces images using salts.
Platinum print: A photographic printing process using platinum.
Gelatin silver print: A process that utilizes gelatin to create images using silver.
POP (Printed out print): The result of a print process.
DOP (Developed out print): The result of a developing process.
Baryta: A coating material for photographic paper or plates.
Half tone: A process to reproduce continuous tones in images.
Straight photography: Emphasizes the direct rendering of the scene without manipulation.
Pre-visualisation: A mental process in imaging a photo subject in advance.
Photogravure: An image reproduction process involving etching and printing.
Gum printing: A photographic printing process on paper using gum arabic.
Celluloid/Nitrate film: An early film material used in photography.
Photomechanical reproduction: A mechanical process for creating copies of photographic images.
Photo-magazine: A magazine with photographic content.
Autochrome: A color photographic process.
Kodachrome: A colored photographic film.