Here you’ll find 106 Photography words that start with S that begin with S, organized from “S-curve” to “sRGB”. The list covers gear, exposure, color, composition and editing terms you can use for study, caption writing, and course materials.
Photography words that start with S are specialized terms and abbreviations used across camera work, lighting, and image editing. Many reflect long photographic traditions, while terms like “sRGB” show how digital standards shape modern workflows.
Below you’ll find the table with Term, Definition, Example, and Related links.
Term: The specific word or abbreviation, so you can scan for what you need and recognize terminology quickly.
Definition: A concise explanation of meaning, giving you a clear, practical understanding in one or two sentences.
Example: A short usage note or context sentence that helps you see how the term appears in real photography work.
Related links: Links to deeper articles, tutorials, or glossary entries so you can learn more about techniques and tools quickly.
Photography words that start with S
| Term | Category | Abbrev/Alt spelling | Typical units/values |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shutter speed | Setting | 1/8,000s–30s typical | |
| Shutter | Equipment | mechanical or electronic curtain | |
| Shutter priority | Setting | S (mode) | camera mode labeled S |
| Shutter lag | Measurement | milliseconds, ~5–200 ms | |
| Shutter release | Accessory/Setting | button, cable, or remote | |
| Shutter count | Measurement | actuations, e.g., 10,000–200,000 | |
| Shutter angle | Measurement | degrees; 180° common | |
| Shutter curtain | Equipment | first and second curtain | |
| Shutter shock | Problem | minor blur from shutter movement | |
| Sensor | Equipment | sizes like 1″, APS-C, full-frame | |
| Sensor size | Measurement | mm or format names; 36×24mm full-frame | |
| Sensor resolution | Measurement | megapixels, e.g., 12–50 MP | |
| Sensor dynamic range | Measurement | stops, e.g., 10–15 stops | |
| Sensor noise | Concept | SNR-related, visible as grain | |
| Sensor dust | Problem | spots visible at small apertures | |
| Sensor blooming | Artifact | streaks or halos from overload | |
| Sensor crop factor | Measurement | e.g., 1.5×, 1.6× | |
| Sensor shift | Feature | IBIS motion in mm or stops | |
| Sensor readout | Measurement | milliseconds to microseconds | |
| Single-lens reflex | Equipment | SLR | optical viewfinder system |
| Single-point autofocus | Setting | one focus point only | |
| Saturation | Concept | percent or slider values | |
| Scene mode | Setting | portrait, landscape, sport presets | |
| Scene-referred | Concept | image processing workflow term | |
| Scenic photography | Genre | landscapes, wide views | |
| S-curve | Post-processing | tone curve shape | |
| sRGB | File format/Color space | standard RGB color space | |
| Spot metering | Setting | ~1–5% of frame | |
| Split toning | Post-processing | highlight and shadow hue/sat | |
| Split neutral density | Accessory | split ND | half dark filter, stops of reduction |
| Spot healing | Software | spot heal brush | local retouching tool |
| Spot removal | Post-processing | cloning/healing tool usage | |
| Spot color | Post-processing | selective color technique | |
| Spotlight | Lighting | focused beam from modifier | |
| Softbox | Accessory | sizes 20–120 inches common | |
| Snoot | Accessory | narrow-beam modifier | |
| Soft light | Lighting quality | diffused, low contrast | |
| Soft focus | Technique | slight blur for dreamy look | |
| Soft proofing | Software | print profile preview | |
| Smart object | Software | Photoshop embedded layer | |
| Smart preview | Software | Lightroom feature | |
| Snapshot | Concept | single saved edit or frame | |
| Saturation mask | Post-processing | mask based on color intensity | |
| Scaling | Technique | percent or pixel dimensions | |
| Scale (image size) | Measurement | pixels, inches, DPI | |
| Scan (film) | Process | dpi values, e.g., 2,400–4,800 dpi | |
| Scanning back | Equipment | high-res digital back for medium/large format | |
| Stacking | Technique | 2–100+ images for focus/DR | |
| Stitching | Technique | several images into panorama | |
| Star trail | Technique | minutes to hours exposures | |
| Starburst | Effect | small aperture f/11–f/22 | |
| Stabilization | Concept | IS, VR, IBIS; 1–6 stops | |
| Steady state | Concept | consistent lighting or exposure | |
| Stereo photography | Technique | two images for 3D viewing | |
| Storage | Concept | GB, TB; SSD, HDD | |
| SSD | Abbreviation | Solid State Drive | GBs to TBs, e.g., 500 GB |
| Specification | Concept | camera or lens published stats | |
| Speedlight | Accessory | flash, external flash | |
| Speed rating | Measurement | ISO or flash guide number | |
| Speed (lens) | Concept | wide aperture like f/1.4–f/5.6 | |
| Sports photography | Genre | high shutter speeds 1/500s+ | |
| Spotting | Technique | checking images for flaws | |
| Spotting scope | Accessory | telephoto loupe for large prints | |
| Specular highlight | Concept | small bright reflections | |
| Sidelight | Lighting | light hitting from side | |
| Side lighting | Lighting | creates strong shadows | |
| Silhouette | Technique | subject as dark shape | |
| Silver halide | Concept | AgX | grains in film emulsions |
| Silver gelatin | Process | traditional black-and-white printing | |
| Sensor blooming (smear) | Artifact | vertical/horizontal streaks from bright lights | |
| Skin smoothing | Post-processing | frequency separation or blur | |
| Skylight filter | Accessory | UV/1A filter | |
| Sky replacement | Post-processing | compositing technique | |
| Slow sync | Setting | long exposure with flash | |
| Slow sync rear | Setting | rear-curtain sync | |
| Snow photography | Genre | exposure compensation +1–2 stops | |
| Softbox grid | Accessory | honeycomb grid | |
| Soft proof | Software | preview for specific printer profile | |
| Soft light modifier | Accessory | diffusers, umbrellas | |
| Soft proofing intent | Concept | perceptual or relative colorimetric | |
| Spot color correction | Post-processing | targeted hue/saturation adjustment | |
| Stop (exposure) | Measurement | one stop = double/half light | |
| Stop action | Technique | fast shutter to freeze motion | |
| Stop motion | Technique | frame-by-frame animation | |
| Stop down | Technique/Setting | increase f-number, reduce aperture | |
| Standard lens | Equipment | 35–50mm full-frame | |
| Standard deviation (image noise) | Measurement | statistical measure of pixel variance | |
| Standard deviation (exposure) | Measurement | variability across frames | |
| Staple (stitching aid) | Accessory | tripod head with level | |
| Strobe | Accessory | studio flash; watt-seconds (Ws) | |
| Studio | Concept | controlled indoor shooting space | |
| Studio flash | Accessory | monolight or pack-and-head | |
| Studio reflector | Accessory | silver, white, gold discs | |
| Studio umbrella | Accessory | shoot-through or reflective | |
| Stylistic filter | Accessory | color or diffusion filters | |
| Subsampling | Concept | chroma subsampling 4:4:4, 4:2:0 | |
| Subject | Concept | main element of a photo | |
| Subject-to-background separation | Concept | depth, focal length, aperture | |
| Sunstar | Effect | small-aperture diffraction spikes | |
| Sunlight white balance | Setting | daylight kelvin ~5,200 K | |
| Sunrise photography | Genre | golden hour timing | |
| Sunset photography | Genre | golden hour timing | |
| Super-telephoto lens | Equipment | 300–600mm+ focal lengths | |
| Supersampling | Technique | upscale/downscale to reduce aliasing | |
| Suppress glare | Technique | polarizer or angle change | |
| Sweep panorama | Technique | pan and stitch series of frames |
Descriptions
Shutter speed
How long the camera shutter stays open; controls motion blur and exposure.
Shutter
The physical device that opens and closes to expose the sensor or film to light.
Shutter priority
Exposure mode where you set shutter speed and camera chooses aperture.
Shutter lag
Delay between pressing the shutter and the image actually being taken.
Shutter release
The control that triggers the shutter to take a photo.
Shutter count
Number of times a camera’s shutter has fired; used to estimate lifespan.
Shutter angle
Film/video concept describing exposure time relative to frame rate; affects motion blur.
Shutter curtain
The parts of a mechanical shutter that open and close to expose the sensor.
Shutter shock
Small vibrations caused by shutter or mirror movement that can blur images at certain speeds.
Sensor
The electronic chip that captures light and converts it to a digital image.
Sensor size
Physical dimensions of the sensor, which affect field of view and noise performance.
Sensor resolution
How many pixels the sensor records; higher counts increase detail and file size.
Sensor dynamic range
Range between darkest and brightest tones the sensor can record without clipping.
Sensor noise
Random variation in pixel brightness that appears as grain or speckles, especially in low light.
Sensor dust
Dust on the sensor that shows up as dark spots on images, especially at small apertures.
Sensor blooming
When very bright highlights bleed into neighboring pixels, creating streaks or halos.
Sensor crop factor
How a sensor smaller than full-frame crops the field of view of a lens.
Sensor shift
In-body stabilization that moves the sensor to compensate for camera shake.
Sensor readout
How quickly the sensor data is read, affecting rolling shutter and frame rates.
Single-lens reflex
Camera design with a mirror that directs the lens image to an optical viewfinder.
Single-point autofocus
Autofocus mode that uses a single AF point for precise subject focus.
Saturation
How vivid or intense colors appear in an image.
Scene mode
Camera preset modes optimized for common shooting situations.
Scene-referred
Workflow approach that treats images as a record of scene values before output.
Scenic photography
Photography focused on natural or urban vistas and dramatic environments.
S-curve
Curve shape used in editing to adjust contrast by lifting shadows and deepening highlights.
sRGB
Common color space for web and consumer displays, narrower than Adobe RGB.
Spot metering
Metering mode that measures exposure from a small central area of the frame.
Split toning
Editing technique that adds different color tones to highlights and shadows.
Split neutral density
Graduated filter with a dark top and clear bottom for balancing bright skies.
Spot healing
Tool that removes blemishes or dust by sampling surrounding pixels.
Spot removal
Generic term for removing small unwanted elements from an image.
Spot color
Editing approach that isolates one color while converting the rest to monochrome.
Spotlight
Accessory or effect that concentrates light on a subject area.
Softbox
Light modifier that produces soft, even light by diffusing a flash or strobe.
Snoot
Accessory that narrows and controls the direction of a light source for dramatic highlights.
Soft light
Lighting that wraps around subjects and produces gentle shadows.
Soft focus
Intentional reduction of sharpness to create a gentle, romantic image.
Soft proofing
Previewing how an image will look when printed, using printer profiles.
Smart object
Layer that preserves source data and allows non-destructive edits.
Smart preview
small, editable previews used to work offline and speed up catalog operations.
Snapshot
A saved state or quick capture; used in cameras and editing software.
Saturation mask
Selection mask created from saturation levels to isolate colors.
Scaling
Resizing an image larger or smaller while managing quality.
Scale (image size)
Physical or pixel dimensions of an image file or print.
Scan (film)
Converting film negatives or slides to a digital image via a scanner.
Scanning back
Specialized digital sensor for very high-resolution capture.
Stacking
Combining multiple images to extend depth of field or dynamic range.
Stitching
Merging overlapping images to create a wide or high-resolution panorama.
Star trail
Long exposure method that captures apparent star movement as streaks across the sky.
Starburst
Pointed flare around bright light sources created by small lens apertures.
Stabilization
Techniques or systems that reduce blur from camera movement.
Steady state
A lighting condition that remains constant during shooting.
Stereo photography
Creating two slightly different images to reproduce depth when viewed together.
Storage
Where image files are saved; speed and capacity affect workflow.
SSD
Fast storage device commonly used for photo editing and backup.
Specification
Manufacturer-stated performance or feature details.
Speedlight
Small, portable electronic flash unit for camera hotshoe or off-camera use.
Speed rating
A value describing film or flash power related to exposure.
Speed (lens)
Informal term for a lens’s maximum aperture and light-gathering ability.
Sports photography
Shooting fast action and movement, often requiring quick autofocus and long lenses.
Spotting
Reviewing images to find and correct small defects or focus issues.
Spotting scope
Tool sometimes used to inspect prints or negatives closely.
Specular highlight
Bright, mirror-like highlights from shiny surfaces.
Sidelight
Light that illuminates a subject from one side to enhance texture and depth.
Side lighting
A lighting technique that sculpts subjects by lighting from the side.
Silhouette
Backlit composition where the subject appears as a dark outline against a bright background.
Silver halide
Light-sensitive chemical crystals used in film and photographic papers.
Silver gelatin
Classic darkroom process using silver salts suspended in gelatin.
Sensor blooming (smear)
See-through bleeding from overloaded pixels on some sensors.
Skin smoothing
Retouching technique to reduce skin texture while preserving detail.
Skylight filter
Thin filter used historically to reduce atmospheric haze and warm images slightly.
Sky replacement
Replacing a dull sky with a more dramatic one during editing.
Slow sync
Flash mode that blends a slow ambient exposure with flash to balance background light.
Slow sync rear
Variation where flash fires at end of exposure, useful for motion trails.
Snow photography
Techniques for photographing snow to avoid underexposed, gray-looking results.
Softbox grid
Accessory that narrows and controls the spill from a softbox.
Soft proof
Same as soft proofing; quick preview of print colors on screen.
Soft light modifier
Any modifier designed to soften a light source for gentler shadows.
Soft proofing intent
Rendering intent choice when soft-proofing images for print.
Spot color correction
Correcting or enhancing a specific color area without affecting rest of image.
Stop (exposure)
A unit describing a doubling or halving of light reaching the sensor.
Stop action
Using high shutter speeds to freeze subjects in motion without blur.
Stop motion
Creating motion by photographing physical objects in incremental movements.
Stop down
Closing the aperture to increase depth of field or reduce exposure.
Standard lens
Lens with a focal length roughly equivalent to the human eye’s perspective.
Standard deviation (image noise)
Statistical measure sometimes used to describe image noise levels.
Standard deviation (exposure)
Used in scientific or calibrated photography to show exposure consistency.
Staple (stitching aid)
Accessory sometimes used to keep framing consistent for panoramas.
Strobe
Powerful flash unit commonly used in studio settings for controlled light.
Studio
Space for controlled lighting, backdrops, and portrait or product work.
Studio flash
High-power, short-duration flash designed for studio use.
Studio reflector
Reflective surface used to bounce light and fill shadows.
Studio umbrella
Light modifier that softens and spreads flash or continuous light.
Stylistic filter
Filters used for creative effects like warming, cooling, or softening an image.
Subsampling
Reducing color resolution in video or compressed images to save space.
Subject
The primary object or person the image is about.
Subject-to-background separation
Techniques to make the subject stand out from its background.
Sunstar
Another term for starburst caused by bright points of light and small apertures.
Sunlight white balance
White balance preset or setting for natural sunlight conditions.
Sunrise photography
Photographing early-morning light, often prized for color and soft shadows.
Sunset photography
Photographing evening light with strong colors and directional light.
Super-telephoto lens
Very long lenses used for wildlife, sports, and distant subjects.
Supersampling
Rendering technique to improve image quality by sampling at higher resolution.
Suppress glare
Reducing reflections using polarizing filters or repositioning the light.
Sweep panorama
Method of creating panoramas by panning the camera while capturing overlapping shots.