How to Use Aperture and the F Stop

Adjusting settings manually while shooting with a new camera can be somewhat intimidating to the new photographer. Many “old pros” still remember the first roll of film they ruined because they read the light wrong or forgot something critical like removing the lens cap. But these same photographers learned and are now able to adjust their camera and capture fantastic photographs while making it appear a seamless photographic effort.

There are many elements of photography. In order to understand how they all relate and work together, it is important to understand how each works separately. This article begins your trip into the inner workings of photography by discussing a not so familiar topic - Aperture.

What Is Aperture?

Simply put, aperture controls how much light is exposed to your film or digital camera’s sensor. Aperture works like the pupil of an eye. It opens and closes in response to light. The F-Stop on your camera opens and closes the aperture. The F-Stop ring is located around the lens in between the focus ring and the body of the camera. The F-Stop range is 1.7/2.0 to about 22 on most cameras. Range increases with the quality and cost of the camera. The range of your camera can be determined by checking the numbers around the lens of your camera. A lower F-Stop means the aperture is open more and the film is exposed to more light; whereas a high F-Stop closes the aperture and decreases the light exposure.

How Does Aperture Impact Images?

Depth of field, or how much of our photograph is blurry and how much is sharp, can be changed by using your F-Stop to manipulate the aperture of your camera. The amount of time a frame is exposed is affected by the aperture, and the more depth and clarity in the final photograph is determined by the amount of time the film has to absorb the information

As an example, use a low F-Stop, meaning an open aperture, to photograph a line of dominoes from one end and you will probably see only one or two dominoes clearly while the others in the background would be blurry. But, if you photograph with a high F-Stop, or a closed aperture, you would be able to see more dominoes down the line clearly and you would have a better sense of how far away they might be. Open apertures create a shallow depth of field while closed apertures create a wider depth of field.

Play With Your Aperture

Once you have an understanding of what the aperture does, you can play around with your camera so you become comfortable with different aperture settings. When you are ready to experiment a little, try out these ideas:

• Shoot each photograph once at a high F-Stop and then again at a low F-Stop.
• Shoot an entire roll at one F-Stop and then switch it up.
• Have you camera on full manual and adjust the F-Stop for light as you move from photo op to photo op.

Remember to allow for more or less light by adjusting the shutter speed on your camera. Faster speeds for more light and slower speeds for less light. This will prevent an overexposed or underexposed image. If your camera has the wonderful option called “Aperture Priority Mode” you can choose an F-Stop value and your camera will adjust your shutter speed automatically.

On a side note, the best conditions for experimenting with aperture are cloudy or overcast days when your F-Stop values aren’t limited by bright or low light.

This can’t be said enough. If you want to improve your photographic abilities and understanding of your camera, you need to get out there and shoot. Practice does make perfect, so get out there and take advantage of every photo opportunity that catches your eye. This way you'll take photographs that you'll be happy to share with your friends, give as a gift or display in your home.