Your camera’s Aperture is an important factor in photography as it affects both the exposure of an image and the depth of field. Understanding what aperture is and how it works can help you take better photos. When you are first starting out this can seem to be a bit tricky.
However, with this little guide we brake it down the easy way. After all, I believe in K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid). There is no need to over complicate things. Life is complicated enough, photography shouldn’t be.
Now aperture is only one part of the equation. The other two, ISO and Shutter Speed, both have their own post so you can understand them independently.
What is Aperture
Aperture in photography refers to the opening in a camera’s lens that controls the amount of light that passes through to the camera’s image sensor. The aperture is measured in f-stops, which represent the ratio of the lens’s focal length to the diameter of the aperture. Have you ever looked in the mirror and shined a light into you eye? Did you notice you pupils getting smaller and bigger? That’s kind of how the aperture in your camera works.
A wide aperture (small f-stop number f/2, f/2.8) allows more light to pass through and produces a shallow depth of field, which means that the subject is in focus while the background is blurred. This effect is often used in portrait photography, where the subject is in sharp focus and the background is blurred to create a sense of depth and separation.
A narrow aperture (large f-stop number f/22) allows less light to pass through and produces a greater depth of field, which means that both the subject and the background are in focus. This effect is often used in landscape photography, where the goal is to capture as much detail as possible throughout the entire scene.
The choice of aperture setting also affects the exposure of the image, which can be adjusted by varying the shutter speed or ISO sensitivity to achieve the desired exposure. Overall, understanding aperture and its relationship to exposure and depth of field can help you create more creative and impactful photos.
Bokeh
Some photographers are always chasing after the perfect bokeh in their shots. It doesn’t matter if they are doing street photography or portraits. They are always after that sweet bokeh. But what is bokeh?
Bokeh refers to the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image. In photography, bokeh is created by using a shallow depth of field (wide aperture), where the focus is on a particular subject, and the background is intentionally blurred. This creates a pleasing, soft and creamy blur effect in the out-of-focus areas of the image.
Bokeh is often used in portrait, nature, and artistic photography, as well as in cinematography, to create a dreamy or romantic atmosphere or to emphasize the subject. The shape and size of the bokeh blur can vary depending on the lens used, the aperture setting, and the distance between the subject and the background. Certain lenses are known for producing particularly attractive bokeh, and photographers may seek out these lenses for this purpose.
As you can see from the examples above, a nice bokeh effect can really enhance your photos. However, not every shot needs to have it. Sometimes in photography less is more.
You can’t have the perfect photographer without using the right aperture. While you still might get a decent looking photo. It could be some much better if you use the right aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. You just need to get out there and play around and see what works for your style.
I like to say nothing in photography is hard. It just takes practice and time. All you need to do is get out there and take some pictures. The better you know your camera and how the different settings effect your final image the better photographer you will become.
