Vocabulary related to photography in French

People capture their memories in photographs. For having the best kind of shots, one should know photography well. And in this article, you will learn to talk about all things related to photography in French. Use these new words you learn to talk in French like a native.

1. une photo

Meaning: a picture produced using a camera

English: photograph

Example: J’étais nostalgique après avoir vu ma photo d’enfance. (I was nostalgic after seeing my childhood photograph.)

2. un/une photographe

Meaning: a person who takes photographs, either as a job or hobby

English: photographer

Example: Mon meilleur ami est photographe de mode.

(My best friend is a fashion photographer.)

3. la photographie

Meaning: the activity or job of taking photographs or filming

English:  photography

Example: Il est allé au parc national pour la photographie de la faune

(= des animaux sauvages).(He went to the national park for some wildlife photography.)

4. un appareil photo

Meaning: a device for taking photographs and

making films or television programmes

English: camera

Example: Elle a souhaité un appareil photo pour son 17ème anniversaire.

(She wished for a camera on her 17th birthday.)

5.  l’objectif 

Meaning :a piece of glass or plastic having a curved surface in order to change the images that are received after going through it and usually to make them larger, smaller, or clearer

English: lens

Example: Il existe de nombreux types d’objectifs utilisés pour la photographie.

(There are many different kinds of lens used for photography.)

6. un appareil photo numérique 

Meaning: a type of camera that records images that can be looked at on a computer

English: digital camera

Example: Il lui était difficile de passer d’un appareil photo traditionnel à un appareil photo numérique. (It was difficult for him to switch from a traditional camera to a digital camera.)

7. un appareil photo argentique

Meaning: a camera that uses photographic film, in contrast to a digital camera.

English:  film camera

Example: Les gens utilisent rarement l’appareil photo argentique de nos jours. (People rarely use the film camera these days.)

8. sous-exposé 

Meaning: to give too little light to a piece of photographic film when taking a photograph

English: underexposed

Example: Les photos prises par les appareils photo compacts sont souvent sombres car elles sont légèrement sous-exposées. (Photos taken by compact cameras are often dark because they’re slightly underexposed.)

9. surexposé

Meaning :to give too much light to a piece of photographic film when taking a photograph

English: overexposed

Example: En raison de la lumière vive, toutes mes photos sont surexposées. (Due to bright light, all my photos are overexposed.)

10. flou

Meaning: difficult to see clearly so it becomes difficult for someone to see things clearly

English: blurry

Example: Elle était triste car toutes ses photos du voyage étaient floues. (She was sad as all her pictures from the trip were blurry.)

11. l’agrandissement

Meaning: something, especially a photograph, that has been enlarged

English: enlargement

Example: L’agrandissement fait ressortir les détails de la photographie. (The enlargement brings out the details in the photograph. )

12. une vue panoramique

Meaning: a picture with a view of a wide area

English: pan shot

Example: Elle sait comment prendre une vue panoramique parfaite. (She knows just how to take the perfect pan shot.) 

13. le filtre

Meaning: a tool for creating special effects on an image

English: filter

Example: Elle a gâché l’image en ayant divers filtres. (She spoiled the picture by having various filters.) 

14. un gros plan

Meaning: an image taken from very near so that the subject appears large

English: closeup

Example: Il a pris un gros plan époustouflant de la sienne. (He took a stunning close up of hers.) 

15. la chambre noire

Meaning: a specially lit room where photographic film is processed

English: darkroom

Example: Il n’est normalement pas nécessaire d’opérer dans une chambre noire. (It isn’t normally necessary to operate in a darkroom.)

I hope you enjoyed learning words related to photography in French. And for more such vocabulary, keep reading our blog. You can easily learn French online with us. So stay tuned for more interesting blogs.