Glossary – F

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f-number – Numbers on the aperture of a film camera lens.

f-stop – Another term for the numbers on the aperture of a camera lens. May also be referred to as “stops.”

Film – An emulsion covered strip or sheet that captures light when exposed and leaves a negative or positive image.

Film Speed – The number given to various films to describe how fast the film can capture an image when exposed to light. This number is most commonly referred to as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) film speed.

Filter – Tinted glass, gelatin, or plastic discs that fit onto a camera lens or under the lens of an enlarger to emphasize, eliminate, or change color, contrast, or density.

Fisheye – An extreme wide-angle lens that rounds edges instead of maintaining sharp rectangular edges.

Fixer – A chemical used during film processing and print development that makes the film or print no longer sensitive to light.

Flash – A brief and sudden burst of light used to create more lighting for a particular scene or subject.

Focal Length – The distance between the point of focus and the film plane when the lens is focused at infinity. Lenses generally have the focal length engraved on the front of the lens and is expressed in millimeters.

Frame – May refer to the areas of a single exposure on film, an element in the scene, like a doorway, that frames the subject, the boundaries of the camera’s viewfinder, or a decorate border around a final print.

frozen-Frozen Motion Photography – A moving subject captured with complete clarity and no blur.