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Terminology
by
Bill & Mary Bunting
Reproduced
from in focus 38. Oct.
1990
During
the course of talks and lectures, I have discovered that one
of the things which confuses and maybe even deters the would-be
underwater photographer from pursuing the activity is the
bewildering array of technical terms and jargon that he or
she will encounter from the moment he or she mentions the
possible purchase of a camera. After exhaustive research,
based mainly on our own experiences, we are now able to offer
clear, practical definitions for these phrases, which we hope
will clarify the situation and assist the newcomer in understanding
exactly what he or she is getting into.
Aperture
- A hole
f-stop
- A simple set of numbers relating to the size of the aperture.
Naturally enough (to photographers anyway) the larger the
number, the smaller the hole. Research so far has failed to
reveal what the 'f' stands for but those with rolls and rolls
of underexposed and overexposed film have a pretty good idea.
Shutter
speed - This term is used in the same sense as Olympic
records, lap times etc. and refers to how quickly the processing
shop can close its shutters on spotting a photographer, clutching
a roll of freshly exposed film. The current record, established
in 1984, is held by a West Country branch of Boots, which
closed in 1/125th of a second on spotting a photographer only
ten yards away.
Film
speed - A simple measurement of how long it takes for
your camera to grow a thin coating of algae and dried salt
after use. Used to be measured on the America scale - ASA
(Actual Speed of Algae) but, as algae became metricated on
entering the Common Market, is now measured by the Italian
equivalent - ISO.
Depth
of field - Term used in connection with photographs taken
by land agents from selected angles to enhance the apparent
size of farmland for sale. As such, can be ignored by underwater
photographers (unless, of course, you are trying to swing
a deal involving fields of eelgrass and the like)
Camera
shake - The procedure generally adopted for removing water
droplets from a flooded Nikonos.
Bracketing
- Estimating the cost of the one presentable shot you have
obtained e.g.
Roll
of film £4.00 - 8.50
Camera
Equipment £300.00 - 3,000.00
Travel
(UK) £40.00 - 100.00
Diving
Equipment £400.00 - 1,500.00
Boat
hire £20.00 - 5,000.00
Air
£0.50 - 3.50
Total
£764.50 - 9,612.00
Therefore,
cost of a photograph of grinning diver in a sub-aquatic snow
storm comes within the £765 - 9,612 bracket.
Lens
Cap - A warm woollen garment with ear flaps and festooned
with diving badges. May be worn whilst Len is diving.
Lens
Hood - If you are really cold, you could wear this when
Len surfaces and demands his cap back.
Wide
Angle - To be given to sharks and other beasties that
look as though they might bite.
Close
Up - The position to be in relation to that gorgeous young
blonde diver who looks as though she might.
BSoUP
- A derivation of the expression generally used to describe
the visibility i.e. "It's like B.... soup".
Exposure
value - Ignore this one. Nearly all underwater exposures
have no commercial value at all.
Natural
Light - A very common species in tropical waters such
as the Red Sea, Maldives, Phuket etc. but extremely rare in
Britain, although legend has it that some forms can be found
in the shallows on hot sunny days. This legend probably has
its origins in photographic mythology.
Note:
Photographic mythology is an extensive and complex subject
covering a great number of volumes and is far to lengthy to
publish in a newsletter this size. However, regular readers
of IN FOCUS will occasionally come across some of the more
classic quotations and references within these pages.
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