ESL Podcast 791 - Taking Photographs

to mug for the camera - to make funny facial expressions for the camera in order to produce humorous photographs

This will be the official class photo. Tell the students to stop mugging for the camera.

still - without moving; without motion

When the bird is standing still, you can see the unusual colors on its head.

shot - a single photograph; one photo

Jelissa was so excited that she was able to get a shot of her favorite movie star coming out of the restaurant.

setting - an adjustment on a piece of equipment; the speed, height, or temperature on a machine can be adjusted

We can lower our energy costs if we lower the temperature setting on our water heater.

to say "cheese" - a command given to someone posing for a picture telling them to smile; to smile for a photo

Everyone said "cheese" when Dad said he was ready to take the picture.

washed out - without color; pale; faded, often from too much sunlight or from having been washed too many times

This movie poster looks washed out because it was displayed in the window for months.

blurry - not sharp; not in focus; something that cannot be seen clearly

I think I need new glasses because words on the page look blurry to me.

flash - a device on a camera which produces a brief light so that photos can be taken in low light settings

You won't need to use the flash when taking photos outdoors on a sunny day.

red-eye - the unwanted small, red spots that appear to be in the eyes of people in photographs that result when people are too close to the flash (brief light) of a camera

Paul used a computer program to remove red-eye from two photos he took of his children.

to adjust - to make small changes to improve the appearance or the result of something; to change a setting on something, such as a piece of equipment

Balil adjusted the curtains on the windows so that sunlight wouldn't shine on his bed in the early mornings.

to pose - to move one's body into a position for a photograph, painting, or drawing

The model posed in front of the new car for the car ad.

to lift - to raise; to move something up from a lower position

Georgina lost her earring under the sofa, but she couldn't lift the sofa by herself to find it.

to face - to look toward; to position one's face in the direction of something

The teacher told all of the students to face the front of the classroom during the science lesson.

to focus - to make adjustments to a camera to produce a clear image; to make adjustments to a camera so that a photo is sharp and not blurry

In this photo, I focused on the background instead of the people standing in front.

there - used to indicate that something is ready or correct, after a period of making small changes to achieve what one wanted

The colors on the new TV don't look right, but I think it just needs a small adjustment. There! That looks better.

tripod - a stand with three legs that attaches to the bottom of a camera so that it can stand on its own, without being held in one's hands

Everyone wanted to be in the picture, so we used a tripod to take the group photo.

candid - a photograph taken informally, usually without the person in the photograph knowing that it is being taken

The best photos from the wedding were the candids of the guests dancing and having fun.