Photography 101: All About F Stops
Without understanding each element of photography, it"s impossible to know how they relate as a whole. So let"s start our trip into the inner workings of photography with one of the most unfamiliar topics: aperture.Defining Aperture
Aperture is simply what controls how much light is exposed to your film (or your digital camerạ€™s sensor). It can be opened and closed using the F-Stop on your camera, which is usually a ring located around the lens in between the focus ring and the body of the camera. If yoụ€™ve ever looked into someonẹ€™s eye as light was shone into it, you have a pretty good idea of what the aperture does ̣€“ it works just like a pupil.
Most cameras have an F-Stop range of 1.7 or 2.0 to 22 or so; the range of values usually increases with the quality and cost of the camera. You can see your camera"s range by looking at the numbers around your lens. Lower F Stops expose the film (or sensor) to more light and are more open, while high F Stops close the aperture and shut out the light.
How Aperture Impacts Images
Using your F-Stop to purposefully manipulate the aperture of your camera will allow you to change the depth of field shown in your photographs. If you"re unfamiliar with the term "depth of field" it describes how much of your picture is sharp and how much is blurry. Aperture directly affects the amount of time a frame is exposed. And, the more time the film has to absorb light, the more clarity and depth will come through the final image.
For example, if you were to take a picture of a line of dominos from one end using a low F Stop number (an open aperture) you would likely see one or two dominos clearly and the other dominos as blurry. Open apertures create a shallow depth of field. If you were to take the same photo with a high F Stop (a closed aperture), you would see a lot more dominos down the line.
Fun Aperture Experiments
Once you know how it works, playing with your camera"s aperture can be a lot of fun.̉ Herẹ€™s a couple of ideas to try the next time yoụ€™re out shooting and you want to test it out:
* Take every photograph twice ̣€“ once at a high F-Stop, and once at a low F-Stop.
* Challenge yourself to shoot an entire roll at one F-Stop, then switch it up.
* Put your camera on full manual and adjust the F-Stop on the fly to adjust for light Doṇ€™t forget to adjust the shutter speed of your camera to allow for more or less light (faster speeds for more light, slower speeds for less), or you may end up with overexposed or underexposed images. Many digital cameras have a fantastic option called "aperture priority mode" which lets you choose an F Stop and will then adjust the shutter speed automatically. It is worth noting that the best conditions for experimenting with aperture are cloudy or overcast days. When faced with low or bright light, your options for F Stop values will become limited.
Of course, the very best way to improve your photography is to never stop shooting. So, get out there and find those photographs!