Jargon

Aperture : your camera has a hole which can be adjusted that determines how much light is being let into your sensor. Aperture is what measures this and is also known as the f-stop. The wider the hole, the more light being let in. Just to confuse you: wide hole = low f stop. For instance, f2 is a wide aperture. Apertue also determines depth of field - the lower your f number, the more of a blurred background you'll get. 

Bokeh: basically, pretty background blur. Usually spots of light in the background of a shallow depth of field shot that produce attractive blurred spots.


DOF : depth of field - how much of the picture is in focus. A heavily blurred background is termed a shallow depth of field. 

F-stop : see aperture


Fill flash : the terminology used for flash (usually straight on a subject) which has been fired with the aim of filling any shadows on a subject. 

ISO : in traditional film, the ASA was the measure of how sensitive the film was to light. ISO is the digital equivalent of this. Higher ISO will mean lighter images, often allowing you to set your shutter speed quicker and your aperture narrower. ISO is usually set higher for night or low light shots. However, the higher the ISO, the grainier the image. 

PP: post processing


RAW: this is a file format. A RAW image is an unprocessed file. JPG files are processed when taken within your camera. Shooting in RAW will enable you to have more control over your overall image in terms of white balance, sharpness, contrast, hue, saturation etc. People are divided about the benefits of RAW - personally, I highly recommend you shoot in RAW.


Shutter speed : shutter speed also determines light coming through to your sensor. If your shutter is open for a longer time, the more light is recorded on your image. It can come with it's problems though - mainly camera shake. You can use long exposures to you advantage though, usually with the aid of a tripod.