This list includes 26 Photography words that start with H, from “HDR” to “Hyperfocal Distance”. These entries cover camera settings, lighting techniques, lens types, and editing terms used in landscape, portrait, and documentary work.
Photography words that start with H are concise technical and creative terms photographers use to describe gear, techniques, and effects. Many entered common use with the rise of digital imaging; for example, “HDR” became widespread as tone-mapping tools improved.
Below you’ll find the table with Term and Definition.
Term: The photography word itself, so you can scan quickly and find the specific H-term you need.
Definition: A short, clear meaning that explains the term and helps you apply it in shoots or editing.
Photography words that start with H
| Term | Abbreviation | Category | Common Unit or Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDR | HDR | Technique | Three bracketed exposures (-2, 0, +2) |
| Headshot | Technique | A professional portrait for a LinkedIn profile | |
| HEIF | HEIF | File-format | .heic or .heif file extension |
| Hertz | Hz | Concept | 50 Hz or 60 Hz |
| High Key | Lighting | Bright, airy portrait with a white background | |
| High-Resolution | Hi-Res | Concept | An image with 6,000 x 4,000 pixels |
| High-Speed Sync | HSS | Lighting | Using flash at 1/4,000s shutter speed |
| Highlight | Exposure | The brightest parts of a photo | |
| Histogram | Metering | A graph on the camera’s LCD screen | |
| Honeycomb Grid | Grid | Lighting | A 30-degree grid on a softbox |
| Horizon Line | Composition | Where the sea meets the sky in an image | |
| Hot Light | Lighting | Tungsten or halogen continuous lamps | |
| Hot Mirror | Equipment | A filter that blocks infrared light | |
| Hot Shoe | Equipment | The metal mount on top of a camera | |
| HSL | HSL | Post-production | A color adjustment panel in Lightroom |
| Hue | Concept | The difference between red, green, and blue | |
| Hyperfocal Distance | Technique | Focusing one-third of the way into a landscape | |
| Hair Light | Lighting | A light source placed behind the subject | |
| Halation | Concept | A red glow around a bright streetlamp on film | |
| Half-frame | Equipment | A camera that shoots 18x24mm on 35mm film | |
| Half-press | Technique | Pressing the shutter button partway down | |
| Half-tone | Concept | The dot pattern seen in newspaper photos | |
| Halo | Post-production | A bright edge around a dark object | |
| Handheld | Technique | Shooting without a tripod | |
| Hard Light | Lighting | Light from the direct midday sun | |
| Healing Brush | Post-production | A tool in Photoshop for removing blemishes |
Descriptions
HDR
High Dynamic Range. A technique that combines multiple exposures of the same scene to capture a wider range of light and shadow detail than a single photo can.
Headshot
A tightly cropped portrait photograph focusing on a person’s head and shoulders. Headshots are commonly used for professional profiles, résumés, and promotional materials.
HEIF
High Efficiency Image File Format. A modern image format that offers better compression and more features than JPEG, storing high-quality images in smaller file sizes.
Hertz
A unit of frequency describing cycles per second. In photography, it is relevant for avoiding flicker from artificial lights when shooting video or using electronic shutters.
High Key
A lighting style that uses bright, even light to minimize shadows, creating a cheerful and optimistic mood with a predominantly white or light-toned image.
High-Resolution
Describes an image with a high pixel count, allowing for greater detail and larger prints without losing quality. The exact number of pixels considered high-resolution changes as technology evolves.
High-Speed Sync
A flash mode that allows you to use a flash at shutter speeds faster than the camera’s normal sync speed, ideal for freezing action or using a wide aperture in bright light.
Highlight
The brightest areas of an image. Photographers must be careful not to “blow out” highlights, which means losing all detail in these bright spots.
Histogram
A graph showing the distribution of tones in a photograph, from the darkest shadows on the left to the brightest highlights on the right. It is a crucial tool for checking exposure.
Honeycomb Grid
A lighting modifier with a honeycomb pattern that attaches to a light source. It narrows the beam of light, creating a more focused and directional effect with less spill.
Horizon Line
The visible line that separates the earth or water from the sky. Keeping the horizon line level is a fundamental rule of composition for creating balanced photos.
Hot Light
A term for a continuous light source, such as a tungsten lamp, that produces a significant amount of heat. Unlike a flash, a hot light is always on.
Hot Mirror
An optical filter that reflects infrared light but allows visible light to pass through. These are used inside digital cameras to prevent IR contamination and ensure accurate color.
Hot Shoe
The mounting point on top of a camera where you can attach accessories like an external flash or microphone. It provides both a physical connection and electronic contacts.
HSL
Stands for Hue, Saturation, and Luminance. It is a color model used in photo editing software to precisely adjust individual colors in an image.
Hue
One of the main properties of a color, representing its pure shade on the color wheel (e.g., red, green, blue). It is distinct from saturation and brightness.
Hyperfocal Distance
The closest distance at which a lens can be focused while keeping objects at infinity acceptably sharp. It is a technique used to maximize depth of field in landscape photography.
Hair Light
A light source in a studio setup, typically placed behind and above a subject, to create a subtle rim of light on their hair. This helps separate the subject from the background.
Halation
An effect, most common in film photography, where light spreads around bright sources in an image, often creating a glowing fringe. It is caused by light reflecting off the back of the film base.
Half-frame
A camera format that exposes an image half the size of a standard 35mm frame. This effectively doubles the number of pictures you can take on a single roll of film.
Half-press
The action of pressing the camera’s shutter release button halfway. This typically activates the autofocus and light metering systems without taking a picture.
Half-tone
A printing technique that simulates continuous-tone imagery through the use of dots of varying size or spacing. It is how photographs are reproduced in newspapers and magazines.
Halo
An unwanted artifact, often a bright outline, that can appear along high-contrast edges in an image. It is commonly caused by over-sharpening or aggressive HDR processing.
Handheld
The technique of taking photographs while holding the camera in your hands, rather than mounting it on a tripod. Image stabilization helps reduce blur in handheld shots.
Hard Light
A type of lighting that comes from a small, direct source, creating sharp, well-defined shadows and high contrast. The sun on a clear day is a perfect example.
Healing Brush
A common post-production tool used to correct imperfections in an image. It works by sampling textures and colors from a nearby area to seamlessly paint over unwanted spots.