Lesson 5: Photography

Aperture

The word aperture literally means “opening” or “hole.” In photography, the aperture refers to the hole in the camera that light passes through when you take a photo. The size of this hole is expressed as an f-number (also called f-stop). While it may be counterintuitive to what you may think, a low f-number refers to a large opening that light can pass through. A higher f-number refers to a smaller opening.

When you choose a lower f-number and you do not adjust any other settings on your camera, such as the shutter speed or ISO, more light will enter your sensor. Your image will therefore be lighter compared to when you choose a high f-number. Since a high f-number means there is only a tiny hole through which light can pass onto your sensor, your image will look darker.

The size of aperture also affects the depth of field. Depth of field refers to the area that looks sharp in your photo. When you take a photograph, your camera focuses on a specific point. There is a certain range in front and behind your focus point that looks still sharp in your image. When you choose a low f-number, you will have a more shallow depth of field. This means that only a very small range appears sharp in your image. When you choose a high f-number, you will have a deeper depth of field. This means that a larger range in front and behind what you focus on is sharp and in focus