Test your basic knowledge |

Certified Professional Photographer

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. The smallest unit of digital information is called a what?
Creates deep shadows in eye pockets - under nose - and chin.
No
One stop
Bit

2. Aperture controls what?
emphasizes textures
The brightness of the light that reaches the sensor
Two (f/8 > f/11 > f/16)
5000K

3. How does 'unsharp mask' work?
Front lighting
Similar to a normal lens at about 30 degrees
Glossy paper
It emphasizes the edges between tones. A threshold of zero affects all pixels - a higher threshold affects just the edges with high tonal difference and minimizes noise.

4. Digital cameras use what set of primary colors?
Bit
Aperture-Priority
Metadata fields that hold info on photographer - subject - and use.
Additive (R - G - B)

5. A tall vertical line on the right hand edge of a histogram indicates what?
Parallax
Aperture and shutter
Along the lines of an imaginary grid at intersecting points that divide the image into thirds horizontally and vertically
Blown highlights

6. In short lighting - where is the main light placed?
Relative aperture. The opening on a long lens must be larger than a corresponding opening on a short lens to produce the same f-stops.
Curves adjustment; Levels adjustment; Brighteness/Contrast adjustment
Fisheye
To strike the side of the face away from the camera.

7. A technique used to maintain sharp focus on a subject that is moving toward you is called what?
Follow focus
Aperture-Priority
Use positive exposure compensation (overexposure). A reflected meter reading will attempt to make the scene 18% gray - employ overexposure to adjust.
aperture diameter

8. What color is opposite Red on the color wheel?
lens-to-subject distance
Similar to a normal lens at about 30 degrees
Cyan
5 -000 Kelvin

9. A histogram with peaks on either end of the histogram and a deep valley in between represents what?
RAID system
A high contrast image
Inkjet black & white printing where color cartridges are replaced with shades of gray - resulting in smooth tones and slight color cast
1) Magnification - or the size of the subject; 2) Angle of view

10. Panning does what?
Maybe as little as 0.5 degrees or 1 degree
No
four times more
Keeps a moving subject sharp while blurring the background

11. When the size of the aperture is decreased - it is said to be what?
stopped down
It increases
White (255)
Click with the neutral-point dropper on the selected color

12. What kind of lighting pattern is useful to widen a subject?
The intensity of the illumination is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from light to subject. At twice the distance from the subject - the light illuminates only 1/4 of the original.
Yellow
Small light source at an angle to the subject
Broad lighting

13. If you're working with an automatic camera and you set the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture - what mode are you working in?
Hyperfocal distance. A lens focused at the hyperfocal distance has depth of field extending from approximately half the hyperfocal distance to infinity - whereas a lens focused at infinity has a depth of field only at infinity.
Shutter-priority
5 -000 Kelvin
Zoom lens

14. Cyan is composed of equal parts of what two colors?
Subtractive primaries (plus black)
Blue & Green
3:1 or 4:1
Bit

15. According to the rule of thirds - where should the important parts of an image fall?
Creates deep shadows in eye pockets - under nose - and chin.
Along the lines of an imaginary grid at intersecting points that divide the image into thirds horizontally and vertically
Dynamic range
The intensity of the illumination is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from light to subject. At twice the distance from the subject - the light illuminates only 1/4 of the original.

16. What is a color profile?
A mathematical translator assigned to each piece of equipment you use (they map one gamut to another; and the ICC (or International Color Consortium) profile is usually shipped by the equipment manufacturer).
Because you can move in close to the subject
Change the shutter speed. The longer the shutter speed - the lighter the background will be. The faster the shutter speed - the darker the background will be because less existing light is captured.
Selectively blocking light during print exposure to lighten the area

17. Perspective is affected by what?
Variations command
No
Direct sun at 11 -000 Kelvin
lens-to-subject distance

18. Tungsten is approximately what color temperature?
Lasso tool
3200 Kelvin
The amount of information contained in each pixel
(X times Y = exposure) Intensity (aperture) x Time (shutter)

19. What color is between Magenta and Cyan on the color wheel?
Blue
The number of pixels per unit of length in a image
Hyperfocal distance. A lens focused at the hyperfocal distance has depth of field extending from approximately half the hyperfocal distance to infinity - whereas a lens focused at infinity has a depth of field only at infinity.
5000K

20. What do the bars on the right of a histogram represent?
Similar to a normal lens at about 30 degrees
White (255)
An 8-BIT sequence that represents 256 possibilities - black & white & 254 shades of grey. The size of a file is the number of bytes it contains.
Reciprocal relationship

21. To emphasize texture in a portrait - what kind of light source is recommended?
Small light source at an angle to the subject
The entire range of colors that can be seen - reproduced - or captured. Our eyes have a greater gamut than a print or monitor.
Bit
1) Use a longer lens; 2) Move closer to the subject

22. What are the effects of top lighting?
Absorbs equal quantities of all wavelengths of light. It allows you to use wider apertures or slower shutter speeds without changing color balance.
The brightness of the light that reaches the sensor
Keeps a moving subject sharp while blurring the background
Creates deep shadows in eye pockets - under nose - and chin.

23. What is a flag?
Also called a gobo; it is a small panel usually mounted on a stand that shades some part of the subject or shields the lens from light that could cause flare
Reciprocal relationship
Total number of pixels
Soft proofing

24. Doubling the aperture setting creates how many stops difference in the amount of light reaching the sensor?
Short lighting
One stop
Change the shutter speed. The longer the shutter speed - the lighter the background will be. The faster the shutter speed - the darker the background will be because less existing light is captured.
Short lighting.

25. What is the name of the issue that prevents you from seeing exactly what the lens sees when using a rangefinder camera?
The amount of information contained in each pixel
Incident light meter
sRGB
Parallax

26. What is burning?
No change. The EXPOSURE doesn't change or it would also change the background as well. Move the lights to adjust.
With the Main at 45 degrees to one side and 45 degrees above subject - it is a classic angle for portraits. It seems natural and flattering and models the face into 3D form.
Selectively increasing print exposure - which will make select parts of the image darker
Fair Use

27. If an image is too green - what color adjustment should be made in Photoshop to correct it?
Levels adjustment
flat - low contrast light
Add magenta
Zoom lens

28. What is focal length - technically?
1920 pixels by 2400 pixels (4.6 million pixels)
5000K
Black. Subtractive primaries are Magenta - Yellow - Cyan
The distance between the lens rear nodal point and the focal plane when the lens is focused at infinity.

29. What is TTL?
Through the Lens. A camera that can automatically control flash exposure using sensors inside the camera.
(X times Y = exposure) Intensity (aperture) x Time (shutter)
Flat lighting
The brightness of all the pixels in an image

30. The histogram of a properly exposed grey card will show a vertical bar where on the histogram?
bend toward each other and converge at the focal point.
Parallax
In the middle
Flattens out the volume of the subject and minimizes textures

31. A 1:1 lighting ratio produces what lighting result?
Half as much light
factor of 2 = 1 stop compensation. (Each time a factor doubles - it's one additional stop)
Flat lighting
The diaphragm - the mechanism that controls aperture.

32. When the subtractive primaries are added together equally - what is created?
RAID system
Black. Subtractive primaries are Magenta - Yellow - Cyan
More of the background and foreground are sharp.
5000K

33. The image transmitted by the lens is recorded by the what?
sensor
Dynamic range
Soft proofing
Yellow

34. The area of acceptable sharpness in an image is called what?
Shutter-Priority
Depth of field
RAID system
5000K

35. This stores electronic images captured in a digital camera until they can be transferred to a computer.
Relative aperture. The opening on a long lens must be larger than a corresponding opening on a short lens to produce the same f-stops.
Memory card / flash card / compact flash card
The diagonal measurement of the sensor.
Flat lighting

36. In the 20th century - black & white photographers used the Zone system to tame excessive contrast. Now - digital photographers use what?
Small light source at an angle to the subject
No change. The EXPOSURE doesn't change or it would also change the background as well. Move the lights to adjust.
3200 Kelvin
High Dynamic Range

37. Name 3 ways to make a tonal adjustment in Photoshop.
Curves adjustment; Levels adjustment; Brighteness/Contrast adjustment
The number of pixels per unit of length in a image
Black (0)
Selectively blocking light during print exposure to lighten the area

38. What would you use an ICC profile for?
Click with the neutral-point dropper on the selected color
To send accurate color requirements to a printer.
Metadata
8 stops

39. If you must move to reduce the amount of flash reaching your subject - how far do you move?
A RAW file that has been altered
To create a 1-stop difference - multiply the original distance by 1.4. Example - if you were originally 5 feet away - a 1-stop difference would have you step back to 7 feet.
The diagonal measurement of the sensor.
Lasso tool

40. What is the optical resolution on a scanner defined as?
90 degrees. If using to eliminate reflections - it should be used at 35 degrees.
A mathematical translator assigned to each piece of equipment you use (they map one gamut to another; and the ICC (or International Color Consortium) profile is usually shipped by the equipment manufacturer).
The pixels per inch a scanner is capable of capturing often described as two numbers (i.e. 1200x2400)
1/250th

41. What is dodging?
Luminance is light reflected from the subject (measured by a reflected-light meter) - while Illuminance is light falling on a subject (as measured with an incident light meter)
Metadata
Short lighting
Selectively blocking light during print exposure to lighten the area

42. The greatest tonal range from black to white is achievable on what kind of paper?
Yellow
Glossy paper
Memory card / flash card / compact flash card
Selectively blocking light during print exposure to lighten the area

43. What kind of lighting pattern places the key light directly in front of and higher than the face?
The difference between light and dark.
Magenta
Levels adjustment
Butterfly lighting

44. Bit depth refers to what?
Curves adjustment; Levels adjustment; Brighteness/Contrast adjustment
Add green
The diagonal measurement of the sensor.
The amount of information contained in each pixel

45. If your print will be viewed mostly under window light - what is the suggested Kelvin temperature of the lights you should use to evaluate your print?
The entire range of colors that can be seen - reproduced - or captured. Our eyes have a greater gamut than a print or monitor.
Levels adjustment
5000K
lens-to-subject distance

46. What is the suggested shutter speed to stop action of a child running parallel to the film plan - about 25 feet from the camera?
To send accurate color requirements to a printer.
1/250th
Bit
Levels adjustment

47. What is interpolated resolution?
Luminance is light reflected from the subject (measured by a reflected-light meter) - while Illuminance is light falling on a subject (as measured with an incident light meter)
Yellow
On a scanner; it guesses what the pixels look like in between the ones the scanner can actually measure.
Convex

48. A normal (or standard) focal length lens approximates what?
Use positive exposure compensation (overexposure). A reflected meter reading will attempt to make the scene 18% gray - employ overexposure to adjust.
Shutter-priority
Change the shutter speed. The longer the shutter speed - the lighter the background will be. The faster the shutter speed - the darker the background will be because less existing light is captured.
The impression human vision gives

49. This technique allows you to keep a subject that is moving toward you well focused.
Follow focus
The brightness of the light that reaches the sensor
bend toward each other and converge at the focal point.
To send accurate color requirements to a printer.

50. How would you define exposure in mathematical terms?
Subtractive primaries (plus black)
Lower
(X times Y = exposure) Intensity (aperture) x Time (shutter)
In the middle