The article is devoted to the development of terminology in visual studies. The author argues the relevance and adequacy of the use of the term meta-image in relation to digital photography. The basis for the theoretical conclusions were the work of media theorists (F. Kittler, D. Crary), researchers of visual culture (G. Böhm, U. Mitchell, H. Bredekamp, K. Jenks, N. Mirzoeff) and phenomenologists (M Merleau-Ponty, J. Didi-Uberman). The main argument for introducing the concept of a meta-image is the ability to designate the content of images that are outside the taxonomy of sign systems, except that the use of the term meta-image removes the opposition between “professional” and “amateur” images: both types are full-fledged research data, household and professional photography is considered as equivalent. Such an expansion of the research field of cultural data allows removing the power of the convention of the Western European tradition in the field of perception, and as a result, to provide a more objective analysis of visual phenomena. The article also discusses the features of virtual digital environments as factors that determine the analysis of digital representation methods. Based on the theoretical analysis, it becomes possible to predict the further direction of the dynamics of cultural research: due to the intensive development of digital representation technology, the need for new terminology, in our opinion, will increase.