Download a Free Photography Terms Glossary for Beginners

Learn the differences between ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and more basic photography terminology with this free PDF glossary

As an award-winning photojournalist with over 20 years of experience, Finbarr O’Reilly believes that to capture great photography, what’s important is how you approach the story. You don’t need fancy equipment to get started, you need vision to capture the right moments.

That said, as he adds, “we do still need something to capture the pictures with,” and a basic understanding of how to get the most out of your equipment to share your stories—whether you’re using a DSLR or an iPhone.

To help you get started, Finbarr shares his Photography Glossary below, in which he explains a few essential photography terms for both shooting and editing. You’ll learn the definitions of basic camera settings like ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, as well as concepts like temperature, saturation, and white balance.

These are all terms and concepts that Finbarr uses in his online photojournalism course, where he teaches you how to research and document stories through photographs. Throughout his career, Finbarr has documented humanitarian and social issues for renowned organizations like The New York Times and the Nobel Peace Prize.

Download a free photography terminology glossary

The glossary includes definitions for some key terminology you’ll need to understand to take striking photographs, including ISO, aperture, shutter speed, contrast, saturation, temperature, and other pillars to help make the most of the tools at your disposal.

After clicking the download button, you’ll find a PDF file titled Photography Terminology Glossary, by Finbarr O’Reilly in the Downloads folder on your computer.

Sign up for Finbarr O’Reilly’s course, Introduction to Photojournalism: Capture Powerful Stories. Throughout the course, you’ll learn how to research stories and document them through photography to create meaningful and engaging narratives.

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