CRITICAL PHOTOJOURNALISM

A-clamp

A spring-loaded clamp used to secure backdrops, reflectors, or other equipment onset.

Adobe Lightroom

A software application for organizing, editing, and processing digital photographs.

Augmented reality (AR)

A technology that overlays digital images or information onto the real world through a device such as a phone or headset.

Back lighting or rim/hair lighting

Lighting placed behind the subject to create a glowing edge or separation from the background.

Butterfly lighting

A portrait lighting style that casts a small shadow beneath the subject’s nose, created byplacing the light directly in front and above.

C-stand

A sturdy, adjustable stand commonly used to support lighting equipment, modifiers or flags.

Camera Bits’ Photo Mechanic

A fast photo-browsing and metadata editing software widely used by professional photographers.

Capture One

A professional photo editing and studio tethering software known for its advanced color and raw processing tools.

Clamshell lighting

A portrait lighting setup using two lights (one above, one below) to create even, flattering illumination.

Community-engaged journalism(CEJ)

A collaborative approach to reporting that prioritizes dialogue and partnership with the communities covered.

Deepfake

A digitally manipulated image or video that uses artificial intelligence to convincingly replace or alter a person’s likeness.

Digisec

Short for “digital security,” referring to practices that protect devices, data and communications from online threats.

Digital asset management system (DAM)

Software designed to organize, store, and manage large collections of digital files such as images or video.

Doxxing

The act of publicly revealing private or identifying information about an individual without their consent.

Duty of care

The ethical responsibility to anticipate and minimize potential risks when working with colleagues, subjects or communities.

Electronic shutters

Camera shutters that use a digital sensor to control exposure electronically, instead of with a mechanical curtain.

Elevator pitches

Concise, persuasive summaries of an idea or project designed to capture attention quickly.

Embed

A journalist who is attached to and reports from within a specific organization, group or military unit.

Engaged journalism

Reporting practices that actively involve communities in the production and framing of news stories.

Ethics of care

An ethical framework that emphasizes empathy and relationships in decision-making and ethical practices.

Exchangeable Image FileFormat data (EXIF)

Metadata stored within image files that records settings such as aperture, shutter speed and camera model.

Extended reality (XR)

An umbrella term encompassing virtual, augmented and mixed reality technologies.

Fixer

A local professional who assists journalists with logistics, translation and access during field reporting. Often a journalist themselves. The term is fraught and becoming less used. Local reporting partner is a preferred term.  

Flag

An opaque panel used in photography or film to block, shape or reduce light.

Flash

A device that produces a brief burst of light to illuminate a subject or scene.

Fixed focal length lens

A lens with a single, non-adjustable focal length, valued for sharpness and wide apertures.

FTP

File Transfer Protocol, a standard method for transferring files between computers over the internet.

Gels

Colored sheets placed over lights to alter their hue or color temperature.

High dynamic range (HDR)

A technique that combines multiple exposures to capture detail in both the darkest shadows and brightest highlights of a scene.

High shutter speed

A fast exposure setting that freezes motion by allowing only a very brief amount of light to reach the sensor.

Hostile Environment and First Aid Trainings

Safety courses that prepare journalists to work in dangerous or unpredictable conditions. There is a move away from using the term "hostile" to describe reporting environments as it frames people through an us vs. them mentality that is more militaristic than journalistic and not productive in all reporting environments i.e. civil unrest, environmental disasters, etc.

Identity-aware

An approach that recognizes how aspects of identity such as race, gender, citizenship status  or socioeconomic background shape experiences, risks and access.

Identity-aware safety practices

Risk-reduction strategies that account for the specific vulnerabilities, privileges and opportunities tied to a person’s identity.

Impact producers

Professionals who design outreach strategies to extend a documentary film or photography project’s influence on public dialogue and policy.

Lens-based workers

Photographers, filmmakers, and other visual storytellers who create work primarily through cameras and optics.

Leave behinds

Printed or digital promotional materials given to potential clients or collaborators as a reminder of one’s work.

Light stand

A portable stand used to hold lights, modifiers, or accessories in place during a shoot.

Local reporting partner

A community-based journalist or organization who collaborates with outside reporters to provide context and access.

Loop lighting

A portrait lighting style that creates a small shadow of the subject’s nose looping down toward the corner of the mouth.

MiFis

Also known as wireless transmitters. Portable devices that provide internet access by creating a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.

Mechanical shutter

A physical curtain in a camera that opens and closes to control exposure time.

Mixed reality (MR)

A technology that blends real and digital environments, allowing physical and virtual objects to interact in real time.

Movement journalism

Reporting that explicitly aligns with social movements and seeks to advance their goals.

Participatory journalism

A reporting practice that involves community members directly in the process of producing and shaping news.

Pitch

A concise proposal that presents a story idea to an editor, publication or client.

Post-processing

The editing and refinement of images after capture, typically using digital software.

Prime lens

A lens with a fixed focal length, often favored for sharpness, wide apertures, and low-light performance.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental health condition that can develop after exposure to traumatic events.

Reflector

A surface or tool used to bounce light onto a subject, softening shadows and enhancing illumination.

Rembrandt lighting

A portrait lighting style that creates a small triangular highlight under the photographed person’s eye on the shadowed side of the face.

Reportage

Documentary-style photography that tells stories through candid, real-time observation.

Restorative narratives

Stories that highlight resilience and recovery in the aftermath of trauma or hardship.

Risk assessment

The process of identifying and evaluating potential dangers to inform safer decision-making.

“Rolling shutter” distortion

Visual skew or wobble in images or video caused by the sequential scanning of an electronic shutter.

Sandbag

A weighted bag placed on equipment stands to prevent tipping or instability.

Scrim

A translucent material used to diffuse, soften, or reduce the intensity of light.

Situational awareness

The ability to recognize and understand one’s surroundings in order to anticipate potential threats or changes.

Silk

A fabric used in photography and film to diffuse light and create a softer effect.

Snoot

A tube-like light modifier that narrows a beam of light to create a spotlight effect.

Softbox

A lighting modifier that diffuses light through fabric for even, soft illumination.

Solutions journalism

Reporting that focuses on responses to social problems as well as the problems themselves.

Social documentary

A photographic genre that aims to raise awareness of social issues through visual storytelling.

Speedlight

A portable, battery-powered flash that attaches to a camera or is used off-camera.

Split or side lighting

A portrait lighting style that illuminates one half of the subject’s face while leaving the other in shadow.

Synthetic media

Content such as images, video, or audio that is artificially generated or manipulated by computers.

ISO (or ASA)

A camera setting that controls the sensor’s sensitivity to light, affecting exposure and image noise.

Toning

The process of adding or altering color in an image, often used to enhance mood or contrast.

Trauma

The long or short term  psychological and physical effects of deeply distressing or disturbing experiences.

Trauma-informed

An approach that acknowledges the various impacts of trauma and seeks to minimize harm in interactions and practices with people who are experiencing trauma.

Umbrella

A light modifier that spreads or diffuses light, producing soft, even illumination.

Virtual reality (VR)

A fully immersive digital environment experienced through specialized headsets.

Visual rhetoric

The use of images to persuade, inform or communicate meaning.

Weapons of mass destruction

Weapons capable of causing large-scale harm, including nuclear, chemical and biological arms.

Zine

A small-circulation, often self-published magazine created for niche or alternative audiences.

Zoom lens

A lens with a variable focal length that allows the photographer to adjust framing without changing position.