All the terms and slang you need to know to work on a professional photography set.
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A-Clamp: noun, spring clamp with rubber tips in a variety of sizes. Usually, your options are: Small (1”), Medium (2”), Large (3”). Medium is the most common.
Ad Agency: noun, An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generally independent from the client; it may be an internal department or agency that provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services, or an outside firm.
Ad Job: noun, photoshoots for advertising campaigns of any sort, print, digital, social, tv. Bigger budgets, bigger crew, better pay, better catering, more responsibility, more gear, more stress, more pressure.
Adjust: verb, the action of changing, enhancing, or editing an image in photo editing software
Adjustment Layer: noun, in use with non-destructive photo editing software: a separate layer or layers that overlays the image and allows you to make adjustments to the image without affecting the original image. This is a feature in Capture One, Affinity Photo, Photoshop and other non-destructive editing software.
Agent: noun, Business representative to a photographer, model, stylist, MUA, or any other freelancer. Some agents and agencies provide production and accounting services along with the nitty-gritty of negotiating contracts and marketing. You may be hired by an agent on behalf of a photographer or paid directly from an agency instead of the photographer or client.
Ambient Light/Available Light/Natural Light: noun, the light inherent to the scene before you begin shaping or adding light. Ambient light can be daylight or any kind of light/lighting that you find inside the location you are shooting in.
Apple Box: noun, the most useful tool on set. A wooden box strong enough to stand on with a handle cut into each end. The typical size is twenty inches long, a foot wide and 8 inches deep (20” x 12” x 8”). Matthews is the brand you’ll see the most.