When people start shooting photos, they don’t know the majority of the photography terms being used. And when they hear them for the first time, they don’t understand them adequately.

So, in this article, we’ll explain the meaning of the photography terms that all photographers should know. Especially if you're looking to take your photography to the next level.

1. Aperture

Camera Aperture

Aperture is usually written in the form of f/stop. The lower f/stop number would mean that the lens is wide open and can let more light in.

When the f/stop number is higher, it would mean that the amount of light getting into the sensor is lowered as the overall opening of the lens is reduced. Basically, aperture implies the opening of the lens, and it controls the overall amount of light hitting the sensor.

2. Shutter Speed

Shutter Speed

Shutter Speed is a significant part of photography. If you want to capture a high-speed motion in an image, you’ll need to work with a higher shutter speed. And if you're going to capture the motion blur in an image, you’ll have to work with a slower shutter speed.

Shutter Speed is the amount of time that the shutter is opened to capture the image. It is usually measured in seconds. Higher-end cameras can go as high as 1/8000th of a second, which would be great for sports photography. On the slow shutter speed side, most cameras will support shutter speeds of 30 seconds.

Related: How to Take Photos With Light Trails

If you want to go any higher than that, you’ll have to select the Bulb Mode, which will allow you to open the shutter for several minutes.

3. ISO

Camera ISO

ISO is essentially the sensitivity of the sensor. The higher the number, the brighter the image will be. However, on the other side, the lower the number, the cleaner the image will be.

Related: How to Take Perfect Noise-Free Photos Every Time

High-end cameras can usually operate at a higher ISO without introducing much noise in the picture. However, lower-end cameras can usually capture decent photos with the ISO being as high as 800.

Once you cross that, quite a lot of noise is introduced into the image. It can even ruin the look of the entire image. So, it is recommended to keep the ISO as low as possible.

4. Focal Length

Camera Focal Length

Focal Length is a term used for the lens of a camera. It basically means the distance between the convergence of light inside the lens and the point on the sensor where it finally meets.

In simpler terms, Focal Length helps in deciding the field of view in the image. You can capture more of the image elements when you choose to use the lower focal length. However, you can capture a zoomed-in shot with lenses of higher focal length.

5. Depth of Field

Depth of Field

Depth of Field is usually what would separate a smartphone camera from a professional camera. It means the range in an image that is sharp and in focus. If a lesser part of the image is in focus, it’s called "Shallow Depth of Field". And when a large part of the image is in focus, it’s called "Deep Depth of Field".

Usually, the depth of field is used to separate the foreground from the background and create a unique look. Different Focal Lengths and different apertures will create different depths of field.

6. Bokeh

Camera Bokeh

Bokeh is background light effects achieved with the lense's aperture and depth of field in the image. Light sources at different distances will always create another level of bokeh.

Lately, smartphone manufacturers have also started providing bokeh effects. And in case you're wondering, bokeh is pronounced "boh-keh".

7. Aspect Ratio

Camera Aspect Ratio

Aspect Ratio decides the dimensions of an image. Most cameras can capture in different aspect ratios---like 3:2, 4:3, and even 16:9. When you capture in a 3:2 aspect ratio, it’ll capture 3 units of width and 2 units of height, and it’ll have the image dimensions in the multiples of 3:2.

Also, if you are capturing or editing images for Instagram, you should likely do it in a 4:5 aspect ratio.

8. White Balance

Camera White Balance

White Balance is another important part of photography. It usually means to balance the colors of an image. When you manage to balance an image's tones and make it look precisely white, it’ll automatically balance other colors in the image.

Most cameras favor a certain color when you use Auto White Balance. So, setting proper white balance is important to get a precise image.

9. Dynamic Range

Camera Dynamic Range

The Dynamic Range of an image means the range between the darkest and lightest part of the picture. When you have a higher dynamic range, the entire image will have proper lighting. Shadows will be light up accurately, and the highlights won’t be overblown.

Recent advancements in computational photography have made getting that dynamic range in an image really easy. Also, if you can shoot in RAW file format, you should always do that, as it can help you achieve a high dynamic range (HDR).

Landscape shots are the ones that need to have a higher dynamic range.

10. Frames Per Second

Camera Frames Per Second

Frames Per Second or FPS is just as important in photography as it is in videography. In photography, it means the number of frames or images that can be captured in a second.

Higher-end cameras support a higher number of frames per second, which is extremely useful when capturing a moving object. Low-end cameras are typically limited in frames per second, but it’s still decent enough if you are not a sports photographer.

Also, you should have a high-speed memory card to support higher FPS.

Learning the Fundamentals of Photography

These are the most important terms you should know about in photography. The first three---Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO---are extremely important for exposure of the image.

The next four terms---Focal Length, Depth of Field, Bokeh, and Aspect Ratio---help with the composition, framing, and setting of the field of view.

The next two--White Balance and Dynamic Range---help for the image's overall look, while the last one---Frames Per Second---is a term that should be looked at while purchasing any camera.