Lightbox
Also called: photo viewer, image zoom, gallery overlay.
A photo opened large over a darkened page, so you can look at it closely. Arrows move to the next photo, and × or Esc takes you back.
Click a photo (or use the buttons). It opens large over a dark layer; the arrows move between photos and × closes it.
Closed
Say it in a prompt
Open gallery photos in a lightbox: the photo scales up from 92% to fill most of the screen over a 90% black backdrop, with a caption ("2 of 12 · Red cabin") under it, ← → buttons on the sides and × top right. Arrow keys move between photos and Esc closes it. Seen on
- The New York Times: Snow Fall: Photos open in a lightbox over the page (the code calls it nytmm_lightboxer).
You might describe it as
- click a photo and it gets big with a dark background
- picture viewer with arrows over the page
- image opens full screen and I can flip through
Not to be confused with
- Modal
A lightbox is made for looking at photos, with arrows between them; a modal is a box of text and buttons you must answer.