35 mm: A type of film used in most amateur cameras. 35 mm describes the size of the negative.

4 x 5: A large-size film often used by professional photographers for portraits and landscapes. The negative measures four inches by five inches. Also refers to cameras that use 4 x 5 film.

Aperture: The opening in the front of a camera lens that controls the amount of light that will reach the film. The size of the aperture can be changed depending upon the amount of light needed.

Backdrop: A colored cloth that forms the background for a formal portrait.

Candid: A photograph that is not posed. Generally taken without the subject's awareness.

Depth Of Field: The distance between the nearest and the farthest points in a picture that are reasonably in focus. The depth of field can be manipulated using different kinds of lenses and exposures.

Developing: The process through which film is exposed to chemicals that convert the silver halides into silver, creating a visible, reversed image on the film. This reversed image is called the negative.

Dissolve: To shift scenes on videotape by having one scene fade out while the next scene fades in.

Documentary Style: A style of shooting videotape or film that includes interviews, and candid or unstaged scenes.

Emulsion: A mixture of silver halides and gelatin that is coated onto various materials to create light-sensitive films and papers. Black-and-white film generally has one layer of emulsion while color film may have three or more layers.

Exposure: The amount of light that is allowed to reach the film when a picture is taken. Exposure is controlled by aperture size and shutter speed.

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