Digital Photography Glossary: A
adapter: Device used to attach certain lenses or filters to your digital camera.
Adobe Photoshop: The leading professional image-editing program for your computer.
Adobe Photoshop Album: A program that enables you to view one or several of your images at the same time, all in one easily navigated workspace.
Adobe Photoshop Elements: A less expensive version of Photoshop with fewer of the ultra-high-end features the professional version includes.
anti-aliasing: A process that smoothes the rough edges or jaggies in images by creating partially transparent pixels along the boundaries that are merged into a smoother line by our eyes.
aperture: An opening made by an adjustable diaphragm, which permits light to enter the camera lens and reach the image sensor.
aperture-priority autoexposure: A semi-automatic exposure mode; the photographer sets the aperture, and the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed to produce a good exposure.
Auto mode: A digital camera mode in which both the aperture and shutter speed are set automatically.
auto shut-off: A digital camera feature that turns off the camera after a certain time period of inactivity.
autoexposure: A feature that puts the camera in control of choosing the proper exposure settings.
autofocus: A camera setting that allows the camera to choose the correct focus distance for you, usually based on the contrast of an image or set by a mechanism, such as an infrared sensor, that measures the actual distance to the subject.
