| Abstract: |
subjective, non-realistic image. An abstract photograph generally contains a design of patterns or shapes where the identity of a subject is not evident.
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| Acceleration: |
The ratio of the change of velocity of an object to the time in which the change occurs. Negative acceleration, or decrease of velocity, is called deceleration. |
| Adapter ring: |
Circular mount, available in several sizes, enabling accessories such as filters to be used with lenses of different diameters. |
| Advancing blade: |
The blade of a helicopter that in that half of the rotor disc where rotation is in the same direction as the movement of the helicopter. |
| Aerobatics: |
Flight that commonly involves barrel rolls, spins, and other high-performance maneouvers. |
| Aerodynamics: |
The science or study of the forces acting on an aircraft in motion. |
| Aerofoil: |
The cross-section shape of a wing taken at right angles to the wing span. Also known as the wing section or rib section. |
| Aeronautics: |
The study of flight and the science of designing, construction and operation of an aircraft. |
| AF lock: |
Stops autofocus operation once the subject is in focus. Useful when shooting a subject outside the focus area in the viewfinder. |
| Affirmative: |
Aviation term for "yes"; to declare or confirm that something is true. |
| Aft: |
The rear of an aircraft. |
| Aileron.: |
A control surface on fixed-wing aircraft, usually mounted on the aft edge of wings, that controls roll, and is controlled by the wheel or stick |
| Air pressure: |
The force created by air pushing on a surface. Also the weight of the atmosphere over a particular point, also called barometric pressure. Average air exerts approximately 14.7 pounds (6.8 kg) of force on every square inch (or 101,325 newtons on every squ |
| Air density: |
The density of the air in terms of mass per unit volume. |
| Air traffic control: |
The body in charge of directing takeoffs, landings, and flight plans for all aircraft |
| Air traffic controller .: |
A person at an air traffic control tower or radar approach control facility who coordinates the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic within designated airspace. |
| Air-to-air photography: |
Photography of aircraft in flight from another aircraft. |
| Airborne: |
Supported only by aerodynamic forces; aloft or flying. |
| Airbourne: |
The state of any aircraft or object that is currently travelling or passing through the air. |
| Aircraft: |
Any weight-carrying structure for navigation of the air, designed to be supported either by its own buoyancy or by the dynamic action of the air against its surfaces. |
| Airfoil: |
Any surface designed to obtain a useful reaction from the air through which it moves |
| Airframe: |
The structure of an aircraft, as opposed to its engine and accessories, including the fuselage, wings, empennage, landing gear (minus tires), and engine mounts.
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| Airport: |
An area of land or water that is used or intended to be used for the landing and takeoff of aircraft, and includes its building and facilities if any. |
| Airspace: |
Space in the air above the surface of the earth or a particular portion of such space, usually defined by the boundaries of an area on the surface projected upward. |
| Airspeed Indicator: |
An instrument which measures the speed of the aircraft. |
| Airstrip: |
A synonym for "runway". |
| Alpha: |
Stands for the letter A in the phonetic alphabet. |
| Altimeter: |
Instrument for measuring altitude which is the number of feet, or meters, above sea level.
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| Altitude: |
Height expressed as the distance above a reference point, which is normally sea level or ground level |
| Altocumulus: |
White or gray layers or patches of cloud, often with a waved appearance; cloud elements appear as rounded masses or rolls; composed liquid water droplets which may be supercooled; may contain ice crystals at subfreezing temperatures. |
| Altostratus: |
An extended cloud formation of bluish or gray sheets or layers. |
| Ambient light: |
The available natural light striking or surrounding a subject. Light already existing in an indoor or outdoor setting that is not caused by any illumination supplied by the photographer i.e. not by artificial light source.
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| Angle of attack.: |
The angle of a wing to the oncoming airflow. A pilot pulls back on the control stick to raise the elevator. This causes the aircraft to pitch which increases the angle of attack. The same is achieved in a helicopter by pulling up on the collective pitch c |
| Angle of view: |
The amount of a scene that can be recorded by a particular lens; determined by the focal length of the lens. |
| AOPA: |
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. |
| Aperture: |
Lens opening. The hole or opening formed by the metal leaf diaphragm inside the lens or the opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film or digital light reciever
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| Aperture Priority: |
An programme mode on an automatic or autofocus camera that lets you set the aperture while the camera sets the shutter speed for proper exposure.
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| Approach: |
The flight phase during which an aircraft has its landing gear extended and is descending and slowing its speed for landing. |
| Artificial light: |
Light not originating from a natural source - normally the sun. |
| ASA: |
Original system of rating photographic materials, which was devised by the American standards Association. The ISO rating system is now used in place of the ASA. |
| Aspect ratio: |
Ratio of width to height in photographic prints. The ratio is 2:3 in 35 mm pictures which produces photographs most commonly measuring 3.5 x 5 inches or 4 x 6 inches. |
| Aspherical lens: |
Lens with a curved, non-spherical surface. Used to reduce aberrations and enable a more compact lens size. |
| ATA: |
A standard for storage devices that lets them be treated as if they were hard drives on the system. Any ATA compatible media can be read by any ATA device. |
| ATIS: |
Stands for automatic terminal information service, a continuous recorded broadcast of routine non-control airport information, usually at large airports. |
| Atmosphere: |
The gaseous or air portion of the physical environment that encircles a planet. In the case of the Earth, it is held more or less near the surface by the earth's gravitational attraction. The divisions of the atmosphere include the troposphere, the strato |
| Atmospheric pressure: |
Also called air pressure or barometric pressure. The amount of force exerted over a surface area, caused by the weight of air molecules above it. As elevation increases, fewer air molecules are present. Therefore, atmospheric pressure always decreases wit |
| Attachment: |
A file such as a photography sent along with an e-mail message so it can be viewed or saved at the recipient's end. |
| Attitude: |
The position of an aircraft as determined by the relationship between its axes and some reference object such as the horizon. |
| Audiovisual: |
Presentation materials such as filmstrips, motion pictures and overhead transparencies which use audio backup for the visual material. |
| Aurora australis: |
Also known as the southern lights -The luminous, radiant emission from the upper atmosphere over middle and high latitudes, and centered around the earth's magnetic poles. These silent lightshows are often seen on clear winter nights in a variety of shape |
| Aurora borealis: |
Also known as the northern lights - The luminous, radiant emission from the upper atmosphere over middle and high latitudes, and centered around the earth's magnetic poles. These silent lightshows are often seen on clear winter nights in a variety of shap |
| Autofocus (AF): |
A system by which the camera lens or the camera body automatically focuses the image of a selected part of the picture subject.
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| Automatic exposure: |
A mode of camera operation in which the camera automatically adjusts the aperture, shutter speed, or both for proper exposure. |
| Autopilot: |
A computerized electronic system which can fly the plane, adjust course and land without manual control by the pilot. |
| Autorotation: |
The ability of a rotary wing aircraft to land safely without engine power. This maneuver uses the stored energy in the rotor blades to produce lift at the end of decent, allowing the helicopter to land safely. |
| Avgas: |
Aviation gasoline, usually followed by the octane rating. Used by piston-engined aircraft. Also LL, low lead |
| Aviation: |
The operation of heavier-than-air aircraft also considered to be the design, development and manufacture of aircraft. There are three types of aviation: general, commercial and military. |
| Avionics: |
A general term for the development and production of electrical and electronic equipment for use in aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles. |
| Avtur: |
Aviation turbine fuel (kerosene). Used by turboprops and jets. |
| Axis: |
An imaginary line, through the center of gravity, around which an aircraft rotates. For example, an aircraft rolls around its longitudinal axis which is an imaginary line that runs through the center of the aircraft, from the nose to the tail. |
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