Photography Glossary: B & C

by Tracy Woods | More from this Blogger

17 Aug 2006 11:18 AM

B Setting- Many cameras have this "B" setting. This originally stood for "bulb." In the early days of flash photography, before cameras were synchronized with the flash, and flash bulbs were used, this "bulb exposure" would hold the shutter open until the flash was fired. In modern cameras, the bulb setting tells the camera to open the shutter when you press the shutter release, and close it when the shutter release is pressed again, or to hold the shutter open until you release the button. You can use this setting to get interesting movement effects, such as cars driving down a highway, like the following example.

Bracketing- Bracketing is a setting on some cameras. Most SLR cameras will have this, and many newer point and shoot cameras have this option as well. Check your camera's manual. Here is an example of a common bracketing symbol, so you know what to look for on your camera and in the manual:

The bracketing setting tells your camera to take a series of exposures of the same shot. Basically, it will take a set amount (usually three) copies of the same picture, each with slightly different settings. You take the picture once, and you get three results to pick from. This is especially helpful when you shoot in JPEG mode, where you can't really adjust the exposure. It is also very helpful with slide film.

Cable Release- A cable release is a cable that is attached to the camera, and they are mainly used for long exposures with a tripod. This can also be used (also with a tripod) when you are shooting at slower ISOs, and really in any case where even very slight movement will ruin a picture. The cable release is a flexible cable, usually between 6 and 18 feet in length, and when you press the plunger at the end, the shutter is fired, thus allowing you to take a picture without touching the camera. Here is an example of what a cable release looks like.

Part 1: A Part 3: D&E Part 4: F Part 5: F (cont) Part 6: G-L Part 7: M-P Part 8: Q-Z

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