Understanding Apertures in Photography
Whether you're capturing moments with a vintage film camera or a modern digital setup, understanding the exposure triangle; aperture, shutter speed, and ISO is fundamental to creating stunning photographs. These three elements work together to control how light interacts with your film or digital camera sensor, ultimately shaping the look and feel of your images. In this guide, we’ll focus on the often-misunderstood role of aperture, exploring not only its impact on exposure but also how it influences depth of field and the creative potential of your photography. While many tutorials emphasize aperture’s effect on brightness, we’ll dive deeper into how it shapes the area in focus, offering practical tips to elevate your skills, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned photographer.
In this video, I discuss aperture and how it affects depth of field in your photography.
Whether you're capturing moments with a vintage film camera or a modern digital setup, understanding the exposure triangle; aperture, shutter speed, and ISO is fundamental to creating stunning photographs. These three elements work together to control how light interacts with your film or digital camera sensor, ultimately shaping the look and feel of your images. In this guide, we’ll focus on the often-misunderstood role of aperture, exploring not only its impact on exposure but also how it influences depth of field and the creative potential of your photography. While many tutorials emphasize aperture’s effect on brightness, we’ll dive deeper into how it shapes the area in focus, offering practical tips to elevate your skills, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned photographer.
What is the Exposure Triangle?
The exposure triangle is the foundation of photography, balancing three critical settings to achieve a well-exposed image:
Aperture: Controls the size of the lens opening, affecting both the amount of light entering the camera and the depth of field.
Shutter Speed: Determines how long the camera’s sensor is exposed to light, influencing motion blur and brightness.
ISO: Adjusts the sensor’s sensitivity to light, impacting image brightness and noise levels.
Mastering these elements allows you to manipulate light creatively, ensuring your photos are neither too dark nor too bright while achieving the desired artistic effect. Let’s zoom in on aperture, as it’s one of the most powerful tools for controlling both technical and creative aspects of your images.
Aperture refers to the adjustable opening in your lens through which light/photons pass to reach the the film or scamera sensor. It’s measured in f-stops (f/1.4, f/2.8, f/8, f/11, f/16), where lower numbers indicate a larger opening and higher numbers indicate a smaller one. Aperture plays a dual role: it regulates the amount of light in your exposure and controls the depth of field, which determines how much of your image is in sharp focus.
A smaller number but larger opening aperture (e.g., f/1.8 or f/2.8) allows more light to enter, brightening your image, which is ideal for low light situations like indoor portraits or night photography. Conversely, a higher number but smaller aperture (e.g., f/11 or f/16) lets in less light, making it suitable for bright environments, such as outdoor landscapes on a sunny day. Balancing aperture with shutter speed and ISO ensures your image achieves the desired brightness without over or underexposure.
While aperture’s effect on exposure is widely discussed, its influence on depth of field is equally important and often not mentioned. Depth of field (DoF) refers to the range within your image that appears sharp and in focus. Aperture settings directly control this range, allowing you to create everything from dreamy, blurred backgrounds to crisp, detailed scenes.
Wide Aperture (Low f-stop, e.g., f/1.4 or f/2.8): A wide aperture creates a shallow depth of field, where only a small portion of the image is in focus, and the background blurs into a creamy bokeh. This is perfect for portrait photography, where you want to isolate your subject from the background, or for macro photography, emphasizing fine details. For example, with a 50mm lens set to f/2.8, the depth of field might be just a few inches when focusing on a subject a few feet away, making the subject’s eyes sharp while the background melts into beautiful bokeh.
Narrow Aperture (High f-stop, e.g., f/11 or f/16): A smaller aperture increases the depth of field, bringing more of the scene into focus. This is ideal for landscape photography, where you want both the foreground and distant mountains to be sharp, or for group shots, where everyone needs to be in focus. However, smaller apertures require more light or adjustments to shutter speed and ISO to maintain proper exposure.
While aperture is the primary driver of depth of field, other factors also play a role:
Focal Length: Longer lenses (e.g., 85mm or 200mm) produce a shallower depth of field compared to shorter lenses (e.g., 24mm or 35mm) at the same aperture. For instance, a 50mm lens at f/2.8 will have a narrower depth of field than a 24mm lens at f/2.8.
Subject Distance: The closer your subject is to the camera, the shallower the depth of field becomes. For example, photographing a flower a few inches away at f/2.8 will result in a very narrow focus plane, while the same aperture used for a subject 10 feet away will yield a slightly deeper focus area.
Lens Design: Different lenses have unique optical characteristics that affect depth of field. Prime lenses with wide maximum apertures (e.g., f/1.4 or f/1.8) are prized for their ability to create dramatic bokeh, while zoom lenses may offer more flexibility but less pronounced background blur.
Practical Tips for Using Aperture Creatively
Experiment with Portraits: Try shooting a portrait at f/1.8 to create a beautifully blurred background that makes your subject pop. Then, switch to f/8 and notice how more of the background comes into focus. Compare the results to understand aperture’s creative impact.
Master Landscape Photography: For sweeping vistas, use a narrow aperture like f/11 or f/16 to ensure both foreground and background details are sharp. Use a tripod if the smaller aperture requires a slower shutter speed to avoid camera shake.
Control Light in Low-Light Settings: In dim environments, a wide aperture (e.g., f/2.8 or lower) can help you capture well-exposed images without relying heavily on high ISO settings, which can introduce noise.
Understand Your Lens: Not all lenses perform equally at every aperture. Some lenses are sharpest at mid-range apertures (e.g., f/5.6 or f/8), while others excel wide open. Test your lens to find its “sweet spot” for optimal sharpness and clarity.
Balance the Exposure Triangle: Adjusting aperture affects the other elements of the exposure triangle. For example, using a wide aperture in bright light may require a faster shutter speed or lower ISO to prevent overexposure. Practice balancing these settings to achieve your desired look.
Mastering aperture is a game-changer for photographers, whether you’re shooting on a vintage film camera or a cutting-edge digital model. By understanding how aperture affects both exposure and depth of field, you can make intentional choices to bring your creative vision to life. Experiment with different f-stops, observe how they transform your images, and practice balancing aperture with shutter speed and ISO. Over time, you’ll develop an intuitive sense of how to use the exposure triangle to capture the perfect shot in any scenario.
For a hands-on demonstration, check out our accompanying instructional video, where we break down aperture settings using a 50mm lens and show real-world examples of how f/2.8 versus f/11 changes your images. Start experimenting today, and watch your photography skills soar!
Difference between the Voigtlander Vitos
In this engaging YouTube short, we take a closer look at the fascinating differences between the Voigtländer Vito I models from the pre-WWII era, the Vito I models released after WWII, as well as the updated Voigtländer Vito II and Vito IIa versions. Join us as we explore the unique features, design elements, and the historical significance of each camera, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of these classic gems in the world of photography!
Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 531/2
It is rare these days to find a gem for the price of a rock on eBay. About a month ago, I put in a low bid for a Super Ikonta more for a laugh than anything else. The starting bid was $10 for this beautiful piece of German engineering. I threw out a small bid of $20 just to see what happened. About a week went by and I forgot about it, but by a sheer miracle, I won this beautiful camera that was manufactured in West Germany between 1949 and 1950, according to the serial number.
When the camera arrived, a Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 531/2, it was in amazing condition. The 105mm f/3.5 Tessar lens was clean. The Compur-Rapid shutter operated smoothly and the times were perfect. And amazingly, the focusing lens travelled buttery smooth with the right amount of friction as to be just a tiny bit stiff. I have dreamt for years about having a Super Ikonta. Even though I prefer 6x6 or 6x4.5 frame sizes, I do like the 6x9 format, even though it does eat up a ton of film! One roll of 120 film in this camera will get you 8 shots! With today’s prices on film, that is not a lot. These cameras originally came with a 6x4.5cm mask. If any of you know where I can get one of these for a decent price, please let me know.
Due to this camera arriving so clean, I did some minimal cleaning and took it out for a test shoot. I took it out on the Peach Orchard Loop Trail that I’ve discussed before. It performed flawlessly. It was not the best time of day or season, but the detail captured in the large 6x9cm photograph blew my mind. I had a small issue with an old batch of 510Pyro during development, but the photographs still turned out well.
I look forward to using it again in the future. However, the use case for a wide format medium format camera is limited. I do landscapes, but as expensive as film is, I will have to be picky about when I use it. I still can’t believe I actually have one of these cameras. This model sells regularly on eBay for $249.
Below, you’ll discover photographs of the camera and the photographs it took. When I use it in the future, I will update this blog post.
Favorite Medium Format Camera of 2024
A short review of the budget friendly medium format film camera with sample photographs.
In my previous post, I enthusiastically discussed my preferred 35mm film camera for 2024. However, I should have clarified that I was specifically referring to my favorite 35mm film camera of 2024. Today, I will shift gears and provide a detailed analysis of my favorite medium format film camera for 2024. What criteria led me to select this particular camera?
There are several important components to consider when picking out a favorite camera for an entire year of photography adventures. In my wee opinion, it absolutely has to be a camera that a person has put many rolls of film through over countless creative sessions. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, you need to truly enjoy using it. The camera must seamlessly become a part of you, almost like an extension of your own self, and you need to take the time to understand all of its wonderful quirks and genuinely appreciate them, as they often contribute to the magic of capturing unforgettable moments.
Every camera has quirks. This camera has a few, such as the slower top shutter speed, but the ease of use and versatility make up for it. I am referring to the Agfa Isolette I. This camera is an amazing medium format camera for the money. It is a standard 6x6 folding camera with an Agnar 85mm f/4.5. It modern times, that aperture seems slow and small, but it was great for its time. These can be purchased on eBay for around $20-$50 in decent condition. I’ve had three of these and never had a problem with the bellows or light leaks.
When shooting with these folders, I’m usually in bright sunlight and shooting at f/8, so the slow 1/200th of a second shutter speed isn’t that bad. It is fast enough. Below, I’ll have a few sample that I took with this camera. One thing to be careful of is double exposing (exposing the same frame of film twice). There is no safety, so you have to remember to wind to the next frame. My cheat for this is to go ahead and wind to the next frame as soon I take a shot. I still do it on occasion.
This camera purchase was pure luck, really. I decided to put in a bid of just $10, thinking it was a fun experiment, and a few days later, I was pleasantly surprised when I received the notification that I had won the auction. Not only did I win the camera, which turned out to be in fantastic condition, but I also scored a case and a little rangefinder tucked away in its own pouch! As I examined the photos of the ad, I noticed the rangefinder pouch attached to the case strap and immediately recognized exactly what it was. I took a chance and ultimately secured a wonderfully charming little camera and rangefinder duo. Together, they are an absolute joy to use, and I can’t imagine my photography adventures without them. Without a rangefinder, it would undoubtedly be a significant struggle to accurately guess the distance with my limited vision.
Keep all of this in mind when looking at these cameras. They do not have a rangefinder or a light meter built in, so you either have to have really good eyes to accurately estimate distance and a light meter or only use it at infinity. Agfa/Ansco are, for the most part, one and the same. The 50’s.and 60’s cameras were of great quality for the price. The Agfa/Ansco that survived into the 70’s was of lesser quality, in my wee opinion.
The main point of all of these posts is to encourage you, the reader, to get out there and shoot stunning photographs, whether it is with a classic 35mm camera, a versatile medium format, or a large format. Photography is an adventure waiting to be explored! If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts about any of these articles and reviews that I create, please feel free to reach out and use the contact page. I’d love to hear from you and help in any way I can!
