Critique Vocabulary

4. What the photographer has placed within the boundaries of the photograph.
5. Direct light as from the sun or a bare light bulb. Specular light sources create hard lined shadows.
8. The overall design of a photograph.
9. The intensity of light multiplied by the length of time it falls on a light-sensitive material; specifically, the combination of shutter speed and aperture.
10. The vantage point from which the photograph was taken; generally used when discussing a photograph taken from an unusual or exaggerated vantage point.
11. Movement How the viewer’s eye moves around within the frame of the photograph.
12. of Interest The objects(s) which appears most prominently and/or most clearly focused in a photograph.
14. of Field The range of allowable focusing error which will still produce an acceptable sharp image.
16. Light A light source that comes from a scattered light source as from a cloudy sky, or light bulb under a lamp shade.
17. of View The place from which a photographer takes a photograph.
19. The arrangement or structure of the formal elements that make up an image.
20. How a surface feels.
22. Shape Shape based on natural objects such as trees, mountains, leaves, etc.
24. Something distinguished from its surroundings by its outline.
25. The range of tones from dark to light.

1. The difference in darkness or density between one tone and another. Strong visual differences between light and dark, varying textures, sizes, etc.
2. The rough image cast by an object
3. Source Direction and quality of light illuminating the photographed scene.
5. The main object or person(s) in a photograph.
6. The distribution of visual elements in a photograph. Symmetrical balance distributes visual elements evenly in an image. Asymmetrical balance is found when visual elements are not evenly distributed in an image.
7. Lines or shapes occurring over and over that create a pattern.
13. shape Simple rectilinear or curvilinear shapes found in geometry, such as circles, squares, triangles, etc.
15. An image that emphasizes formal elements (line, shape, etc) rather than specific, recognizable objects.
18. A color or shade of color.
19. The subject, topic or information captured in a photograph.
21. The areas that appear clearest or sharpest in the photograph.
23. The entire area that makes up the photograph. Can refer to the depth or shallowness of the image. Negative space and positive space make up the whole picture. Spatial illusions can create depth or lack thereof.