#Big aperture meaning series#

the building in the back- ground and the street light) would the photo have same impact? So usually a portrait photographer uses a lens that supports a big aperture ( f/2, f/1.4, f/1.2.)Ģ. Imagine if the you were to see all other details (e.g. Photo below (courtesy ) is a bright example of a portrait. When you are taking portraits: (Portrait photography is a style of photography). So why would I want to blur a photo using big aperture when I can get a nice and clear picture using smaller aperture? There are 2 straight-forward cases when one will need to use a big aperture:ġ. What is DOF you'll ask? Technical definition of DOF is the distance (perpendicular to the camera) in which the subjects have a clear focus. If the aperture is big we will have deeper depth-of-field or DOF. Now lets look at the side-effects of different aperture size. Hope now you understand the figure above. if an aperture of f/1.4 allows X amount of light to pass through it then f/2 will allow X/2 amount of light to pass through it and f/2.8 will allow X/4. And when you multiply denominators with root-2 the aperture size/area decreases in such a way that it allows half the light to pass through. Why this strange number? Well it is root-2 (square root of 2). But if you also didn't score high in math like me here is how it works. If you are a math genius you would've figured out formula of the series.

#Big aperture meaning series#

Like we have the decimal series 0, 1, 2, 3 and so on, we also have an 'f-stop series' which goes like this: f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4. But if you say that there are 2 lenses with aperture = 12 mm, both will NOT allow same amount of light to pass through. There are charts available that consider all of the above factors and give you the precise distance at which to focus for the maximum depth of field.Note: Why use some creepy thing like f-stop when you can represent the same thing using a simple unit like milimeters ? Well, using f-stop makes the unit independent of the focal length of the lens, so when you say that there are 2 lenses with aperture = f/2 you know that both of them allow same amount of light to pass through. Please note that hyperfocal distance will vary depending on the sensor size, the lens’s focal length, the Aperture you use, and other parameters. Hyperfocal distance is that distance focusing at which gives your images the greatest possible depth of field. The best option is to use the Hyperfocal Distance calculator. It’s just an estimation and therefore is likely to give you an approximate result most of the time. This generally ensures that everything in front of the plane of focus and half the distance between the plane of focus and the back of the frame are in focus.

The second alternative is to focus at 1/3 rd of the way into the scene. Some photographers prefer to use a wide-angle lens and a small aperture to accentuate the long depth of field. Anything smaller than f/8 is an excellent aperture to get a long depth of field. The quickest and easiest way to produce a deep depth of field is to use a small aperture. Go ahead, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s get started. Most importantly, I have played around with Aperture and depth of field in my work, so I can help you grasp the basics of this one part of the photography trinity of exposure. Over this period, I have used multiple camera systems and used different lenses.

I have been a serious photographer for over 12 years and dabbled with film cameras on and off for nearly 25 years. In this quick article, we will discuss Aperture, Aperture value, and how it affects Depth of Field. In brief, small apertures like f/11 – 22 have a larger depth of field, with this depth only increasing as the aperture narrows, while larger apertures like f/2.8 have a much shallower depth of field. It’s critical for the formation of an image inside a camera. Speaking in layman’s terms, an Aperture is a small opening on a camera that allows light to pass through. But did you ever wonder what Aperture is and how it affects your photography? If you’re a beginner photographer, you must have heard about Aperture or played around with the Av or A button on your camera.