Information about controlling Aperture on your camera.

1. +
Essential Digital
Photography
Aperture, F-Stops, and
More

2. + “The important thing is not the camera but
the eye.” ~ Alfred Eisenstaed

3. + WAYS TO MAKE A GOOD PHOTOGRAPH
Control exposure
 Aperture
 Shutter speed
 ISO

4. + UNDERSTANDING
 The Camera as a Window
example:
EXPOSURE
 Aperture is the size of the window. If
the window is bigger more light gets
through and the room is brighter.
 Shutter Speed is the amount of time
that the shutters of the window are
open. The longer you leave them open
the more that comes in.
 Imagine that you’re inside the room and
are wearing sunglasses. Your eyes
become desensitized to the light that
comes in (it’s like a low ISO)

5. +
The Aperture
 Before light reaches film or a light
sensor, it must pass through an
opening called an Aperture.
 The aperture is like a pupil of the
eye. You can control the aperture by
setting the Aperture Opening, also
known as an F-Stop.
 Small F-stop Number =
Large Opening / More Light
 Large F-stop Number =
Small Opening / less light

6. +
WHICH ONE?

7. + PROGRAM Mode
• Aperture and shutter
speed are set by the
camera, but can be
shifted using the control
dial, with the exposure
staying the same
• Great for quickly getting
a photograph without
having to think too hard
about settings

8. + AV-APERTURE
PRIORITY
• AV means aperture value
• Manually control the aperture while
the camera sets the matching
shutter speed
• Particularly useful to control a
stationary object where you don’t
need to control the shutter speed
• Choosing a larger aperture (f/stop)
means the lens will get smaller and
it will let less light in so a larger
depth of field (more of the area in
focus), but your camera will choose
a faster shutter speed and vice
versa

9. + MANUAL
• Full control over camera
settings such: shutter
speed, aperture, ISO, white
balance and exposure
compensation
• Gives you the flexibility to
set your shots the way you
want them to be
• Can result in creative and
non-traditional exposures

10. + PORTRAIT MODE
 An automatic mode with
emphasis on settings for a
perfect portrait shot.
 Sets a wide aperture of
the lens so that the
background behind your
subject is softly focused
(shallow depth of field)

11. + LANDSCAPE MODE
 Narrows the
aperture, so both
the subject and
background stay
sharp (deep depth
of field)
 Foreground,
middle ground,
and background
are all in focus

12. + MACRO/CLOSE-UP MODE
 An automatic mode
with emphasis on
settings for close-up
photography
 Commonly used to
photographing
flowers, insects and
other small items
 Creates a very
shallow depth of field

13. +
APERTURE
 The aperture of a lens is the diameter of the lens opening
 Thelarger the diameter of the aperture, the more light
reaches the film / image sensor
 Aperture is expressed as F-stop, e.g. F2.8 or f/2.8
 The smaller the F-stop number (or f/value), the larger the
lens opening (aperture)
 Controls depth of field

14. +
APERTURE

15. +

16. +

17. +

18. +
Please refrain
from taking
such a boring
image

19. + IS THIS SHALLOW D.O.F?

20. + IS THIS?

21. + SHALLOW OR DEEP D.O.F.?

22. +
Balancing Shutter
For example, the following three
and Aperture
pictures have been given an
Exposure is about
equal amount of light, but the
different combinations of f-stop and shutter combinations
shutter speed and f-stop make each one unique.
settings.
These combinations can
drastically affect the
finished picture.

23. +

24. +
Depth of Field EXERCISE – At
Home
 The goal of the assignment is to demonstrate to yourself that
you are capable of manipulating aperture on your camera.
 Take several photographs at different aperture settings of the
same subject.
 With an SLR set it to Aperture priority (Av mode). Change the
aperture from a wide aperture to a very narrow aperture.
With a point and shoot try using, Macro mode, Portrait mode,
and Landscape mode.
 Look for difference in depth of field

25. +
Depth of Field EXERCISE
 Pick a partner
 Stand away from your partner
 Take a photograph of their face only with your lens
unzoomed
 Zoom in and shoot but only fill the frame with their entire
face again
 See the difference in depth of field