The Basics {Aperture}

Posted on | February 9, 2010 | No Comments

When you go from a point and shoot to a DSLR there are a lot more options that you just don’t know what to with. Or a SLR for film, but most people today are shooting digital so that the angle I’m going to come from, though most of this information will translate onto film. But there are two very important parts of the camera that must be understood when transitioning, otherwise there is really no point.

With a point and shoot you only have automatic as your shooting option, the camera chooses everything for you. Many times on a DSLR the automatic settings and options will translate easily from a point and shoot. They both have settings for automatic landscapes, automatic portraits, automatic night shots, automatic macro, automatic motion shots,… Anyone noticing a pattern? Automatic settings are easy, no thinking, just point and shoot, but now you have the option to change your lens.

On a DSLR you also have settings such as Aperture priority, this will give you control over your depth of field. Or Shutter Speed priority, giving you complete control over the speed of your shutter, this is helpful for steadily shooting an event — such as weddings.

Then there is the only setting that a photographer should use, Manual, this is the only setting that gives you the photographer complete control over how much light enters into you picture. Building the perfect relationship between the aperture and shutter, controlling the highlights and shadows, along with the depth of field.

Your depth of field is controlled by your aperture, the smaller the number (F3.5 — this is called a wide aperture), the larger the opening in the lens letting in more light, the shallower the depth of field. This looks perfect for portraits.

There also what is called a narrow aperture, this is when the number is turned up (F11), making the opening in the lens smaller and letting in less light, this will give your photograph a greater depth of field. This is best when shooting landscapes to gain a greater perspective.

This was the moment I truly understood the relationship between the aperture and depth of field. On the left is shallow depth of field, shot at f/4, 1/1250 (the wider the f/stop, the more light that enters in through the lens, the faster the shutter, thus the less detail is able to enter the photo) — this is the relationship between subject and light that creates a photograph with shallow depth of field. And on the right is greater depth of field, shot at f/11, 1/200 (the narrower the f/stop, the less light that enters in through the lens, the slower the shutter, thus more detail is able to enter into the photo) — creating the relationship between subject and light for a picture with greater depth of field.

Category: Photography
Tags: >

Comments

Leave a Reply