Aperture

What is aperture? What does it do and how can it improve my photography?

Let's dive in!

Aperture is an important aspect of photography. Aperture is part of the exposure triangle and controls the amount of light that enters the camera and the depth of field in a photograph. Aperture is measured in f-stops, with a smaller f-stop number indicating a larger aperture and a larger f-stop number indicating a smaller aperture. f/ stands for focal ratio. Think if the iris of your eye, when its bright your iris gets smaller, when its dark it gets larger. Your camera lens works in same way.

Here is how it affects the image:

Different aperture effects on the image, including:

  • Amount of light: A larger aperture (smaller f-stop number ex. f/1.8) allows more light to enter the camera, while a smaller aperture (larger f-stop number ex. f/22) allows less light to enter the camera.

  • Depth of field: Aperture also controls the depth of field in a photograph, which is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects that are in sharp focus. A larger aperture (smaller f-stop number f/2.8) will result in a shallower depth of field, where only a small portion of the scene is in focus, while a smaller aperture (larger f-stop number f/32) will result in a deeper depth of field, where more of the scene is in focus.

When should I select a large aperture: A large aperture (smaller f-stop number) can be useful in a number of situations, including:

  • Low light conditions: A large aperture allows more light to enter the camera, which can be useful for capturing photos in low light conditions.

  • Shallow depth of field: A large aperture creates a shallow depth of field, which can be useful for isolating the subject from the background and creating a sense of depth in the photo.

  • Shallow depth of field can be used to create some interest in otherwise boring backdrops.

This image was taken at f/1.4 the shallow depth leaves the dogs nose and ears out of focus. The small focal plane depth is set on his eye and forehead.

Shot at f/1.8, slightly more depth than the pervious image. Eyes and more of the nose are in focus. All others parts of the image are outside the depth of field.

  • Fast shutter speed: A large aperture allows more light to enter the camera, which can allow you to use a faster shutter speed to freeze action or reduce camera shake.

When should I select a mid-range aperture: A mid-range aperture (around f/8 to f/11) can be useful in a number of situations, including:

  • Landscapes: A mid-range aperture can provide a good balance of depth of field and light gathering ability, making it useful for capturing landscapes.

  • Group shots: A mid-range aperture can provide enough depth of field to keep everyone in the group in focus.

Selecting a mid-range f-stop can help solve the issue of missing focus on your subject. If you are using a large f-stop and consistently having the subjects eyes out of focus try changing to a smaller f-stop to keep more depth of field.

When should I select a small aperture: A small aperture (larger f-stop number f/16 or smaller) can be useful in a number of situations, including:

  • Maximum depth of field: A small aperture creates a deep depth of field, which can be useful for keeping the entire scene in focus, such as in architecture or landscape photography.

f/22

  • High quality lenses: Small apertures can help to maximize the sharpness of high quality lenses.

Understanding the effects of aperture and when to select a large, mid-range, or small aperture, you can control the amount of light in the photograph and the depth of field to create the desired look. Experimenting with different apertures can also help you to understand how they affect the final image and develop your own creative style.


Typical aperture sequence for a lens is as follows

f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22

  • Light is decreased by half or a stop of exposure as you go from wide to small in the sequence. ex: f/4 to f/5.6

  • Light is doubled or increases by a stop as you go from small to wide. ex: f/11 to f/8

Thank you for taking the time to read! I hope this information on aperture helps you improve your photography. Remember to experiment and have fun and see what works best for you and your style. Let me know if you have any questions.


Get out there are take some pictures!


-Thomas Martinez