Photography Glossary for Beginners

If you're in the market for a new camera, or you're a beginner looking to take your photography to the next level, chances are you've stumbled across some confusing terms along the way. From aperture to zoom, this glossary explains the key terms you'll encounter in product descriptions and photography tutorials — in plain English.

Last updated: May 2026

Beginner photographer learning camera settings with a mirrorless camera — key photography terms explained

A

Aperture — The diameter of the lens opening, which controls how much light enters the camera. A smaller f-number (e.g. f/1.8) means a larger opening, which lets in more light and produces a shallower depth of field. A larger f-number (e.g. f/16) means a smaller opening, more depth of field, and less light.

Automatic Mode — A camera mode where the camera makes all the key exposure decisions for you. Modern automatic modes include scene recognition that adjusts settings based on what the camera detects — useful for beginners, but limiting for creative control.

B

Bokeh — The quality or attractiveness of the out-of-focus areas of an image. Bokeh is most visible in images with a shallow depth of field and is typically produced by lenses with fast maximum apertures (e.g. f/1.4 or f/1.8).

Burst Mode — See Continuous Shooting.

C

Composition — How and where subjects are placed within the frame of your image. Good composition is one of the most important skills in photography. The Rule of Thirds is a great starting point — see our beginner's guide to fashion photography for a practical example of composition in action.

Continuous Shooting — Also known as burst mode, this is the maximum number of frames per second your camera can capture when you hold the shutter button down. A fast continuous shooting rate is essential for sports and wildlife photography.

D

Depth of Field — How much of your image is in sharp focus from front to back. A shallow depth of field (blurred background) is achieved with a wide aperture; a deep depth of field (everything in focus) is achieved with a narrow aperture.

E

Exposure Triangle — The relationship between the three key settings that control exposure: Aperture, ISO, and Shutter Speed. Changing one requires adjusting one or both of the others to maintain correct exposure.

F

File Format — The type of file your image is saved as. JPEG is the most common and works well for sharing online, but compresses and discards some image data. RAW files store all the data captured by the sensor with no in-camera processing — giving you maximum quality and editing flexibility. TIFF is a lossless format used when quality must be preserved without compression.

Flash Gun — Also called a Speedlite or Speedlight, a flash gun attaches to the hot shoe of your camera and provides a powerful burst of artificial light. Far more powerful and versatile than a built-in flash. Browse our range of flash guns and camera lighting.

Focal Length — Measured in millimetres (mm), focal length determines the angle of view of a lens. A lower number (e.g. 16mm) gives a wider field of view; a higher number (e.g. 200mm) gives a narrower field of view with greater magnification.

F-Stop — See Aperture.

H

Hot Shoe — A mounting point found on most DSLR and mirrorless cameras (and some advanced compacts) used to attach external flash guns and accessories such as wireless triggers and microphones.

I

Image Noise — Random speckles or grain that appear in an image, most commonly when shooting in low light or at high ISO settings. Modern cameras handle noise much better than older models, but it remains a trade-off to be aware of.

Image Stabilisation — Technology that compensates for camera shake when shooting handheld, reducing blur at slower shutter speeds. Can be built into the lens (Canon IS, Nikon VR, Sony OSS) or into the camera body (IBIS — In-Body Image Stabilisation). Many modern mirrorless cameras offer both simultaneously.

ISO — The camera sensor's sensitivity to light. A lower ISO (e.g. 100) produces cleaner images in bright conditions; a higher ISO (e.g. 3200+) allows shooting in darker conditions but introduces more image noise. See our guide to creative lighting for beginners for tips on managing ISO in different lighting situations.

M

Macro — A style of photography that involves capturing subjects at very close range, typically small subjects like insects, flowers, or textures. Macro lenses are purpose-built for this, allowing very close minimum focus distances.

Manual Mode — The opposite of Automatic. In Manual mode, the photographer takes full control of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. It offers the most creative control and is worth learning as your skills develop.

Megapixels — A megapixel equals one million pixels. A 24MP camera captures images made up of 24 million individual pixels. More megapixels generally means more detail and larger print potential, though sensor quality matters just as much as pixel count.

Metering — The system your camera uses to measure the amount of light in a scene and determine the correct exposure. Common metering modes include evaluative/matrix (measures the whole scene), centre-weighted, and spot metering (measures a small area).

P

Prime Lens — A lens with a single fixed focal length (e.g. 50mm). Prime lenses typically offer faster maximum apertures and sharper optics than zoom lenses at the same price point. Browse our range of camera lenses.

R

RAW — See File Format. Shooting in RAW is strongly recommended for anyone serious about editing their images — see our Photoshop vs Lightroom guide for advice on RAW editing software.

S

Sensor / Sensor Size — The image sensor converts light coming through the lens into a digital image. Larger sensors (e.g. full-frame) generally produce better image quality, especially in low light, compared to smaller sensors (e.g. APS-C or Micro Four Thirds).

Shutter Speed — The length of time the camera's shutter stays open when taking a photo. A fast shutter speed (e.g. 1/1000s) freezes motion; a slow shutter speed (e.g. 1/4s) introduces motion blur and lets in more light. Slow shutter speeds are great for waterfall photography — see our winter photography guide for tips.

V

Viewfinder — The small eyepiece at the rear of the camera used to compose images. Optical viewfinders (found in DSLRs) use a mirror to show the actual view through the lens. Electronic viewfinders (EVFs, found in mirrorless cameras) display a digital preview from the image sensor — showing exposure, white balance, and other settings in real time.

W

White Balance — A camera setting that ensures white objects appear white under different light sources (daylight, tungsten, fluorescent etc.). Incorrect white balance results in colour casts — images appearing too warm (orange) or too cool (blue). Shooting in RAW allows you to correct white balance in post-processing.

Z

Zoom Lens — A lens that covers a range of focal lengths (e.g. 24–105mm), giving you flexibility to shoot wide and telephoto without changing lenses. Browse our range of zoom lenses.

Put Your New Knowledge to Use

With these key terms under your belt, you're ready to dive into your photography journey with confidence. For more beginner-friendly guides, check out:

Need help choosing your first camera or next lens? Visit your nearest Ted's Cameras store for expert advice, or shop online with free shipping over $500.