When it comes to photography, aperture is one of the most important settings you can use to take your images from good to great. Aperture has an impact on your final image in a variety of ways, including the amount of light that’s captured, the focus, and most importantly, the depth of field. In this blog post, we’ll explain everything you need to know about aperture in photography. Let’s get started!
What is Aperture in Photography?
Aperture is the opening in the lens, which controls how much light is allowed to pass through and hit the sensor. On the other hand, shutter speed controls the duration of time the sensor is exposed to light. These two settings work in conjunction with each other to control the image’s exposure. Aperture is one of the most important settings to understand in photography because it controls a variety of aspects of your image, including the amount of light in the scene, the focus and most importantly, the depth of field.
Aperture is measured in f-stops, and the numbers indicate the size of the aperture, or how wide it is. The lower the f-stop number, the wider the aperture is. A wider aperture allows more light to enter the camera and hit the sensor, which leads to brighter photos. A smaller aperture, on the other hand, lets in less light and produces darker images. Aperture is typically referred to as being “wide open” or at “f/2.8” for example, which means the lens’s aperture is as wide as it can get.
How Does Aperture Work?
Aperture works by allowing a specific amount of light through to the sensor. The wider the aperture, the more light gets in. When setting your aperture, it’s important to understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Each of these three is linked to one another in a very simple way: If you adjust the aperture to let in more light (increase the aperture), you need to adjust one or both of the other settings to compensate. If you decrease the aperture to let in less light (decrease the aperture), you need to adjust one or both of the other settings to compensate.
This interplay between shutter speed, ISO and aperture is incredibly important to understand. We’re not just adjusting one setting for one desired outcome. We’re adjusting two or three settings to get the desired outcome. And doing so properly will help you get the shot you want every single time.
Aperture Terms to Know
- F-Stop: The aperture setting is expressed in terms of f-stops. The f-stop scale runs from f/1.0 to f/128. The lower the f-stop number, the wider the aperture and the more light that will enter the camera.
- Aperture Priority Mode (AV or A on the Mode Dial): This is one of the most common ways to use aperture. In aperture priority mode, you select the aperture setting and the camera automatically selects the shutter speed needed to compensate for the change in aperture.
- Depth of Field: The area in front of and behind the point of focus that is in acceptable focus. The depth of field depends on the aperture you select, the distance to the subject, and the magnification of the image.
- Hyperfocal Distance: The closest distance at which a lens can be focused while still producing a sharp image throughout the entire image.
- ISO: The light sensitivity of a digital camera sensor. It’s measured on a scale of 1 to 16,000 (higher numbers let in less light). You can also use shutter speed or aperture to compensate for a change in ISO.
- Shutter Speed: The length of time that the camera’s shutter is open while the sensor is exposed to light. Shutter speed is measured in seconds, or if it’s longer than one second, in fractions of a second (e.g. 1/60th of a second).
How to Change Aperture Settings
First, choose your lens’s f-stop. Different lenses have different f-stop settings, so make sure you’re using the right one. Once you’ve selected your f-stop, change the shutter speed or ISO to compensate for the change in aperture. Then, take a test shot and review the image on the back of the camera to gauge the exposure. If it’s too dark or too bright, adjust the shutter speed or ISO to compensate for the change in aperture. This process is a bit more complex than it sounds!
Remember, you don’t have to go from wide open to your smallest f-stop setting. You can start with a mid-range aperture and then decrease or increase the f-stop to find an ideal setting. This is especially helpful when you have a lot of light or darkness in the scene and need to find an appropriate middle ground.
When to Use Which Aperture?
Wide aperture (small f-stop number): If you want to bring your subject closer to the foreground or create a bright and airy look, use a wide aperture. If you want the entire scene to appear sharp, use a wide aperture. Narrow aperture (large f-stop number): If you want to bring your subject further away from the foreground and create a darker look, use a narrow aperture. If you want to create a blurred look or bring more of the scene into focus, use a narrow aperture.
But how do you decide which aperture to use for your image? That’s where the depth of field comes in. Aperture controls the depth of field, and it’s the single most important characteristic of an image. You can’t change the lighting conditions or the distance between you and your subject, but you can control the depth of field.
More on Depth of Field
Depth of field is the area in front of and behind the point of focus that is in acceptable focus. The more narrow your depth of field, the more your background will be blurred. The wider the depth of field, the less your background will be blurred.
When you’re shooting, you want to use the aperture that gives you the desired depth of field. You also want to make sure that the aperture selected by the camera gives you the exposure you need for your image. The camera will select an aperture based on the shutter speed and ISO you’ve selected. But you can override it by setting the aperture manually. This is especially helpful when you need to control the depth of field in your image.
Summary
Aperture is the opening in the lens, which controls how much light is allowed to pass through and hit the sensor. On the other hand, shutter speed controls the duration of time the sensor is exposed to light. These two settings work in conjunction with each other to control the image’s exposure. Aperture is one of the most important settings to understand in photography because it controls a variety of aspects of your image, including the amount of light in the scene, the focus, and most importantly, the depth of field.
Aperture is measured in f-stops, and the numbers indicate the size of the aperture, or how wide it is. The lower the f-stop number, the wider the aperture is. A wider aperture allows more light to enter the camera and hit the sensor, which leads to brighter images. A smaller aperture, on the other hand, lets in less light and produces darker images. Aperture is typically referred to as being “wide open” or at “f/2.8” for example, which means the lens’s aperture is as wide as it can get. Aperture works by allowing a specific amount of light through to the sensor. The wider the aperture, the more light gets in.
When setting your aperture, it’s important to understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. This interplay between shutter speed, ISO, and aperture is incredibly important to understand. We’re not just adjusting one setting for one desired outcome. We’re adjusting two or three settings to get the desired outcome.
