macro lens a lens used to photograph very small objects closeup.
magic hour the hour at dawn and again at dusk, when the sun produces the most flattering light.
mask a cardboard cutout placed over a lens to create a variety of effects, such as making a picture appear as if it was taken through binoculars or through a keyhole.
mat a decorative cardboard border around a photo. Also spelled matte.
monochrome a photo in several shades of one color.
paparazzi freelance photographers who follow celebrities around and take their photographs for sale to publications. The singular form is paparazzo.
photoflood a studio light of 275 to 1,000 watts.
photogenic photographically attractive.
photomacography photography of small objects.
photometer a light-exposure meter.
photomicrography photography through a microscope.
pixel an individual electronic image point.
red eye in a photograph, the reddish glint that sometimes appears in the eye of a subject when a flashbulb has been used.
reflector a studio light reflector used to bounce light in the desired direction.
retouch to touch up or alter a photograph, as with an airbrush.
scrim a mesh fabric used to produce diffuse lighting.
shutter speed the speed at which the camera shutter opens and closes. A fast speed is needed to capture moving objects without blur.
sky filter a colored filter used in landscape photography.
slow of a film, less sensitive to light than other (fast) film. Also, of a lens, allowing less light to enter the camera than others.
SLR single-lens reflex camera, noted for its view- finder that shows the image exactly as it will be recorded on film.
solarize to overexpose a photograph, sometimes done intentionally for effect.
stop bath a chemical solution used in stopping film from developing further, before the fixing process.
stop down to reduce the size of the camera aperture and amount of light entering it.
telephoto a lens used to focus on distant objects.
thumbnail in a digital camera, a reduced image of a stored photograph.
time exposure a photograph made with the camera shutter left open for several seconds or minutes to show movement of, for example, clouds and stars, or to gather more light from very dim objects.
tripod a three-legged camera stand.
unretouched photo an unaltered photo.
Vaseline petroleum jelly sometimes applied on glass to shoot pictures through; it produces a hazy effect.
vignette a photo whose edges blend into the surrounding background.
wide-angle lens a lens that allows a wide field of view.
zoom lens a telephoto lens with a range of different focal lengths.
sculpture
acrolith a Greek marble statue.
armature the skeletonlike frame upon which plaster, clay, or other substance is applied to construct a sculpture.
bas-relief low relief. Any sculpture or carving (such as a coin) that is raised only slightly from its background.
bushhammer a brick-shaped hammer with teeth on either end, used in stone carving to pulverize rock.
bust a sculpture consisting of the subject's head, neck, and part of the shoulders.
bust peg a post on which a bust is sculpted.
butterfly in a large sculpture, a crosslike piece of wood hung inside the framework or armature to help hold up heavy masses of material; a cross-shaped support.
calipers a tool with two movable arms, used by sculptors to measure diameters.
colossal any sculpture that is more than twice as large as life-size.
contrapposto a sculpture of a figure poised with most of its weight resting on one leg.
damascene the inlaying of a precious metal into a plain metal surface.
deep relief a sculpted or carved design that projects high off its background. Also known as high relief.
direct carving creating a sculpture directly without a clay or wax model.
draperie mouillee wet drapery; in figure sculpture, a thin, clingy, form-revealing drapery.
dress to finish or smooth out stone.
fettle to trim a sculpture of rough edges and any other extraneous matter.
firing the subjecting of a clay body to high heat in order to harden it.
grotesque any sculpture featuring a motif of leaves and flowers with imaginary or bizarre animal or human figures.
heroic a figure sculpture that is larger than life-size but smaller than a colossal.
icon a sculpture or picture of a holy person.
isocephaly the arrangement of figures so that the heads are at the same level.
mallet a wooden sculptor's mallet having a barrel- shaped head.
maquette a small wax or clay model of a potential sculpture and presented to a client for approval.
modeling clay reusable, nonhardening clay used for modeling.
rasp an abrasive tool used in rough-shaping, striat- ing, and wearing down surfaces.
relief any projection from a flat surface, a raised area.
repousse a method of forming a relief design by hammering a metal plate from the back.
sculpture in the round freestanding figures carved in three dimensions, as distinguished from relief work.
statuary marble any white marble suitable for sculpture.
statuette a statue that is half life-size or less.
stun to split, chip, or splinter stone deliberately or by accident.
terra-cotta a fired, brownish red clay, commonly used by sculptors and potters.
Sculpting Marbles
bardiglio capella an Italian marble, gray with gray and black streaks.
benou jaune French marble, mottled gold, yellow, and violet.
breche rose Italian marble, mottled brown, white, and lavender.
campan griotte French marble, mottled brown.
Carrara popular Italian marble, white with few gray streaks.
compage melange vert French marble, green.
escalette French marble, yellowish green and pink.
French grand antique French marble, mottled black and white.
giallo antico popular with ancient Greeks and Romans, an antique yellow marble.
Languedoc French marble, red or scarlet with occasional white splash.
loredo chiaro Italian marble, mottled brown and yellow.
lumachelle French marble, mottled green.
Napoleon gray New England marble, gray.
pavonazzo Italian marble, multicolored with peacocklike markings.
Petworth English marble, multicolored and fossil- bearing.
porto marble Italian marble, black with gold veins.
rance Belgian marble, dull red with blue and white streaks.