Digital Photography Glossary

Off-center Subject

This is a composition technique in which the subject is positioned at one of the four vertices indicated by the Rule of Thirds. This prevents you from placing your subject in the dead center of your photo, which usually results in less compelling image. It ensures that the background is used to maximum effect in the composition.

Click here to learn more: Top 10 Composition Tips

Optical Axis

Optical Axis is an imaginary straight line that travels through the true center of all the lens elements and hits the focal plane (image senor or film frame) at 90-degrees.

Overexposure

Overexposure happens when light in a scene exceeds the image capture medium's ability to effectively record image information. It is characterized by a loss of detail in the highlights and when the brighter parts of an image are closer to white than their nature hue.

Click here to learn more: Undestanding Exposure - ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed Explained

Oversaturation

Oversaturation is when the hue/color levels are particularly powerful, strong and perhaps garish in their representation of a color. When an image's colors are already strong, details and overall image quality declines when there is oversaturation (regardless if it enhanced in the digital darkroom or during initial acquisition).