Flash applets on some technical aspects of photography

Variables that Affect Exposure

Explores the tradeoffs between aperture, exposure time and ISO.

Thin Lens

Uses Gauss's ray tracing construction to show how thin lenses perform a 3D perspective transformation of object space into image space.

The Gaussian Lens-Maker's Formula

The relationship between object distance, image distance, and focal length, and the distinction between focusing and zooming.

Depth of Field

How do focal length, subject distance, F-number, and size of the circle of confusion affect depth of field?

Telephoto Zoom Lens

The operation of zoom lenses, telephoto zoom lenses, and optically-compensated telephoto zoom lens.

Spatial convolution

Interactively demonstrates 1D continuous convolution and 2D discrete convolution. Don't miss the "custom" buttons!

Autofocus: Phase Detection

Explore how some cameras (mostly SLRs) use phase detection to autofocus a picture.

Autofocus: Contrast Detection

Explore how other cameras (mostly point-and-shoots) use contrast detection to autofocus an image.

Introduction to Color Theory

Explores the trichromatic theory of color vision and considers its implications for human perception, color photography, and computer display of color images.

Color Matching

Reenact Maxwell's color matching experiment to see how closely you can match the trichromatic matching functions for the given primaries.

Chromaticity Diagrams

Explores chromaticity diagrams and the meaning of the 2D gamut of perceivable colors.

Gamut Mapping

Interactively shows the results of gamut mapping (both the primaries and the rendering intents) on the colors displayed in an image.

Color Mixing

Explores additive and subtractive color mixing.

Gamma Correction

Unwrapping some of the tangled world of gamma correction.

Cylindrical Panoramas

Demonstrates how images are projected from a plane to a cylinder to form a panorama.