Photography Basics Flashcards

Question 1

What is exposure in photography, and what does it control?

Accepted Answer

Exposure is the total amount of light that reaches the camera sensor or film during a single capture. Photographers control exposure mainly through three settings: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity. Together these settings form the exposure triangle, so changing one usually means adjusting another.

Question 2

What does aperture control, and how is it expressed?

Accepted Answer

Aperture is the lens opening that controls how much light reaches the sensor. It is written as an f-number, like f/2.8. A smaller f-number means a wider opening, which admits more light and produces shallower depth of field. A larger f-number admits less light but keeps more of the scene sharp.

Question 3

What does shutter speed control in an exposure?

Accepted Answer

Shutter speed controls how long the sensor is exposed to light during one capture. It is often written as a fraction, such as 1/250 second. Fast speeds freeze motion, while slow speeds allow light to accumulate and can blur moving subjects.

Question 4

What does the ISO setting control in digital photography?

Accepted Answer

ISO sets how sensitive the camera sensor is to light. A higher ISO value makes the sensor respond more strongly, so a photo can be captured in dimmer conditions or at faster shutter speeds. The tradeoff is that higher ISO values tend to add visible noise, which appears as grainy speckles.

Question 5

How do aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work together?

Accepted Answer

Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO trade against one another, so a change in one can be offset by an opposite change in another. For example, opening the aperture by one stop can be matched by halving the time the shutter stays open. Choosing the right balance depends on the look you want.

Question 6

What is a stop, and how is it used in photography?

Accepted Answer

A stop is a standard unit for measuring changes in exposure. Moving one stop up doubles the amount of light reaching the sensor, while moving one stop down halves it. Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO are all adjusted in stops, which is why they can be traded against each other so easily.

Question 7

What happens to an image when it is overexposed?

Accepted Answer

An overexposed image receives more light than the scene needs, so bright areas lose detail and turn pure white. Once highlights are clipped, the lost information cannot be fully recovered. Overall tones often look washed out or faded. Checking the histogram helps photographers reduce exposure before shooting.

Question 8

What does an underexposed image usually look like?

Accepted Answer

An underexposed image receives too little light, so it appears darker than intended. Shadow areas lose detail and merge into solid black. Lifting those shadows later in editing tends to reveal noise and banding. Some recovery is possible, but it rarely matches a correct exposure.

Question 9

What is the difference between hard and soft light?

Accepted Answer

Hard light comes from a small or distant source and produces sharp, well defined shadows with strong contrast. Soft light comes from a large or diffused source, wrapping around the subject and producing gentle shadow transitions. Softer light often flatters portraits, while harder light can add drama and texture to a scene.

Question 10

What is the golden hour in outdoor photography?

Accepted Answer

The golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise and before sunset, when the sun is low and light is warm and directional. Shadows are long and colors often appear rich. Because the light changes quickly, photographers plan ahead and work efficiently.

Question 11

What does the direction of light do to a subject?

Accepted Answer

The direction of light determines where highlights and shadows fall on a subject. Front light lights the subject evenly but can flatten texture. Side light emphasizes shape and surface detail by creating strong shadows along one side. Backlight can create glowing edges but often leaves the front of the subject dark.

Question 12

What is white balance and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

White balance tells the camera what color counts as neutral. Light sources such as daylight, shade, and indoor bulbs each add a color tint. Setting the correct balance keeps skin tones and whites looking natural. Shooting RAW lets you adjust it later with more flexibility.

Question 13

What is the rule of thirds and how is it used?

Accepted Answer

The rule of thirds divides the frame into a grid of nine equal parts using two horizontal and two vertical lines. Placing key subjects along these lines or at their intersections often creates a more balanced and engaging composition than centering everything.

Question 14

What is a leading line and how does it guide viewers?

Accepted Answer

A leading line is a visual path, such as a road, fence, or shoreline, that guides the viewer's eye through the frame toward a subject. Lines that converge toward a point create a sense of depth and distance. Diagonal lines often add energy, while horizontal lines tend to feel calm and stable.

Question 15

How does negative space affect the look of a photograph?

Accepted Answer

Negative space is the empty area around a subject, such as plain sky, a wall, or open water. It gives the subject room to breathe and draws attention to its shape. Used well, negative space creates a minimal, calm feeling and emphasizes isolation. Too much empty space can make a frame feel unfinished.

Question 16

What is a foreground element and why use it?

Accepted Answer

A foreground element is an object placed near the camera, such as a plant, rock, or railing. It adds a sense of depth by separating the near and far parts of the scene. Including a foreground can also frame the main subject and give viewers a clear point of entry.

Question 17

What is focal length, and how does it affect the view?

Accepted Answer

Focal length is a lens measurement, given in millimeters, that describes its field of view. Short focal lengths give wide views, while long focal lengths narrow the view and magnify distant subjects. Wide lenses exaggerate depth, while telephoto lenses compress it.

Question 18

How is depth of field defined, and what controls it?

Accepted Answer

Depth of field is the range of distance within a scene that appears acceptably sharp. Aperture is the biggest factor, with wider openings producing shallower depth of field. Focal length and subject distance also matter, since longer lenses and closer subjects reduce the sharp zone.

Question 19

How does continuous autofocus differ from single autofocus?

Accepted Answer

Single autofocus locks focus once when you press the shutter button halfway, which suits still subjects. Continuous autofocus keeps adjusting focus while the subject moves, which suits sports, wildlife, and children. Using the right mode reduces missed shots and soft, out of focus images.

Question 20

When is manual focus more useful than autofocus?

Accepted Answer

Manual focus is useful when autofocus struggles, such as in low light, with low contrast subjects, or through objects like fences. It also gives precise control when you want to focus on an exact point, like an eye in a close portrait.

Question 21

What is the difference between a prime lens and a zoom lens?

Accepted Answer

A prime lens has a fixed focal length, so the photographer changes framing by moving closer or farther away. A zoom lens offers a range of focal lengths that can be adjusted without moving. Prime lenses often have wider maximum apertures and simpler optics, while zooms offer convenience and flexibility.

Question 22

What does image stabilization do for handheld shooting?

Accepted Answer

Image stabilization reduces blur caused by small camera movements during handheld shooting. It can be built into the camera body or the lens, and it allows slower shutter speeds without shake. Stabilization does not freeze moving subjects, so faster shutter speeds are still needed for fast action.

Question 23

What is bokeh, and what influences how it looks?

Accepted Answer

Bokeh describes the quality of out of focus areas in a photograph. It is influenced by aperture, lens design, and subject to background distance. Wide apertures and longer focal lengths usually produce more pronounced background blur. Bokeh is a matter of taste, so different lenses render it differently.

Question 24

What is a tripod used for in low light photography?

Accepted Answer

A tripod holds the camera steady so slower shutter speeds can be used without motion blur. It is especially useful for long exposures and night scenes. Using a remote release or timer further reduces shake from pressing the shutter. A tripod does not stabilize moving subjects, so it works best for still scenes.

Question 25

What are the common exposure modes on a camera?

Accepted Answer

Common exposure modes include manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and program auto. In manual mode, the photographer sets both aperture and shutter speed. Aperture priority lets you set the aperture while the camera chooses shutter speed, and shutter priority does the reverse. Program auto selects both values automatically.

Question 26

How does a camera's built-in light meter work?

Accepted Answer

A built-in light meter measures the brightness of the scene reaching the sensor or a separate metering sensor. It then suggests exposure settings that would produce a mid tone result. Because the meter assumes the scene averages to middle gray, bright or dark subjects can fool it.

Question 27

What are evaluative, center weighted, and spot metering?

Accepted Answer

Evaluative metering analyzes many zones across the frame to estimate a balanced exposure. Center weighted metering gives most importance to the middle of the frame, while spot metering measures only a small area. Spot metering is useful for tricky lighting, such as a subject against a bright backdrop.

Question 28

What is exposure compensation and when do you use it?

Accepted Answer

Exposure compensation is a setting that deliberately makes the camera's suggested exposure brighter or darker. Photographers use it when the meter is fooled, such as in snow, which the meter may render gray. Dark subjects on a dark background may need negative compensation.

Question 29

What is exposure bracketing and when is it used?

Accepted Answer

Bracketing means taking several frames of the same scene at different exposure settings. It is useful when lighting is difficult to judge, such as high contrast scenes or sunsets. The frames can later be combined in editing software to capture a wider range of tones.

Question 30

What is bulb mode, and what is it used for?

Accepted Answer

Bulb mode keeps the shutter open for as long as the photographer chooses. It is used for very long exposures such as star trails, fireworks, and light painting. A tripod and remote release are usually needed to keep the camera still.

Question 31

What is burst shooting mode and when is it helpful?

Accepted Answer

Burst mode captures a rapid series of frames while the shutter button is held down. It is helpful for fast action such as sports, animals, and moving vehicles, because the best frame can be selected later. Bursts also fill memory cards quickly, so manage storage carefully.

Question 32

What is the purpose of a lens hood?

Accepted Answer

A lens hood is a shade that blocks light from striking the front element at angles that can cause flare and reduced contrast. It is most useful when the sun or a bright light source is near the edge of the frame. Hoods also protect the front glass from bumps.

Question 33

What is a histogram and how is it read?

Accepted Answer

A histogram is a graph showing the distribution of tones in an image, from pure black on the left to pure white on the right. Peaks on the left indicate shadows, while peaks on the right indicate highlights. A histogram piled against either edge can signal clipped detail.

Question 34

What is the difference between RAW and JPEG files?

Accepted Answer

A RAW file stores nearly unprocessed sensor data, giving more latitude for adjusting exposure, white balance, and color later. A JPEG file is processed and compressed inside the camera, so it is smaller and ready to share. JPEG files offer less editing flexibility, and repeated saving degrades quality.

Question 35

What is digital noise, and how can it be reduced?

Accepted Answer

Noise is random variation in brightness or color that appears as grain in a digital image. It is more visible at high ISO, in long exposures, and in underexposed shadows. Noise can be reduced by using lower ISO, exposing properly, and applying noise reduction in software.

Question 36

What factors affect how sharp a photograph looks?

Accepted Answer

Sharpness describes how crisply fine details and edges appear in a photograph. It depends on accurate focus, adequate shutter speed to avoid motion blur, and steady support. Lens quality and aperture also matter, since very small openings can soften detail. Sharpening in editing can enhance perceived edge definition, but it cannot restore lost detail.

Question 37

What are the main effects of cropping an image?

Accepted Answer

Cropping removes outer parts of an image to change framing, correct composition, or emphasize a subject. Because it reduces the number of pixels, heavy cropping lowers resolution and can make detail look soft when printed large. Cropping works best when the original file has enough resolution to spare.

Question 38

What do basic editing sliders like contrast and highlights adjust?

Accepted Answer

Contrast increases or decreases the difference between light and dark tones. Highlights adjusts only the brightest areas, which can recover some detail in bright skies. Shadows does the same for dark areas, lifting or deepening them without changing the midtones as much. Whites and blacks set the brightest and darkest points of the tonal range.

Question 39

What is a color cast and how can it be corrected?

Accepted Answer

A color cast is an unwanted overall tint that makes a photo look too blue, orange, or green. It often comes from mismatched lighting or incorrect white balance. Correcting it usually involves adjusting temperature and tint, or sampling a neutral gray or white area.

Question 40

What is a sensible basic order for editing a photograph?

Accepted Answer

A sensible basic order starts with selecting the best frames, then correcting exposure and white balance, followed by cropping and straightening. Next, adjust contrast, color, and local details, and finish with sharpening and noise reduction. Saving the original file untouched preserves the ability to revise edits later.

Photography Basics Flashcards

1Exposure Fundamentals

2Light and Composition

3Lenses and Focus

4Camera Modes, Metering, and Accessories

5Image Quality and Editing

Learning Resources