Photographers’ gobbledygook can be confusing! This photography dictionary will help you find the real significance behind that jargon.
Gamma
Gamma correction, gamma encoding or simply gamma, is the name of a nonlinear operation used to code and decode luminance, originally developed to compensate for the input/output characteristics of cathode ray tube (CRT) displays.
Gels
Large coloured sheets of a transparent medium which are used over any type of light to add colour. (Also the smaller C.C. & camera filters.)
(see CC filters)
Generator pack (Power pack)
The power pack used to link Large Studio flash lights to the mains.
(see Monobloc)
Giclée Print
The term 'Giclée' first appeared in fine art marketing at the end of the 80's. Giclée (pronounced "zhee-clay") is french for "squirt" or "spray." Produced by a large format ink jet printer on art-quality paper or canvas. The term, however, offers no standard for quality or print longevity.
(see Fine Art & Ink Jet Print)
Gigabyte (GB, Gig)
A measure of file size and storage capacity. Most consider a kilobyte to be 1,024 bytes, a megabyte to be 1,024 kilobytes, and a gigabyte to be 1,024 megabytes. However, some key standards groups assume a kilobyte to be 1,000 bytes, a megabyte to be 1,000 kilobytes, and a gigabyte to be 1,000 megabytes. Many data storage manufacturers use this latter measurement to define their device sizes, which leads to computers showing less storage capacity on a drive than the specificiations suggests.
(see Kilobyte & Megabyte)
Gobos
A gobo (GOBO: 'GOes Before Optics' is a Film Industry term) is a template pattern device used to control the shape of emitted light. Made from either metal or glass which when added to a suitable light source can be projected onto "a photographic subject" e.g. a shuttered window effect onto a table. Usually the gobo is used inside a Focusing Spot Light, but an ordinary 35mm projector can be used on smaller scenes with simple card gobos!
(see Focusing Spot)
Making a print 'grain sharp' means that it is printed in focus.
(see Grain)
Grain
The sand-like, granular appearance of a negative, print or trannie. Graininess becomes more noticeable with fast films and increased size of enlargement. (Granularity: The amount of grain clumping that has occurred within an emulsion. Also referred to as graininess.)
(see Emulsion, Enlargement & Fast film)
Guide number
The number which indicates the effective power of a flash unit. For a given film speed, the guide number divided by the distance between the flash and the subject gives the appropriate f stop to use.
Peter Ashby-Hayter, Bristol, U.K. Bristol Photographer
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