For all those who have paid attention in their photography classes, aperture must be a familiar term. But for all those budding photographers who have not received any formal training, Aperture is the diaphragm opening of the lens. If you see the specification of a DSLR or an SLR camera, then one of the very first things mentioned is its aperture range or maximum aperture. For example, the full name for one of Canon’s SLR cameras is the Canon EOS 450D 18-55mm, where “18-55m” denotes aperture. A number of us would just pick up our cameras, fiddle with some of its applications and go on a clicking spree, yielding only one or two pictures from a reel of 50. It is necessary to know about the intricacies of the camera before you press the click button.

Aperture is the application of the camera that helps you control the light entering your camera. Aperture and shutter are the two applications that help you manipulate the exposure of your film or sensors. Each lens has its own characteristic range of aperture which is measured in f stop. You would have often seen F stop markings on the 3rd ring of your lens. These are the aperture markings. At the highest f stop marking (which is 22 in the given picture) your lens will allow minimum light to enter the camera when you press the click button during the exposure process, hence the aperture or the lens opening will be minimum. On the other hand, the minimum f stop (which is 1.4 in the given picture) will allow the maximum light to enter the camera; hence the lens is at its maximum opening.

It is necessary to get the right aperture settings for your photograph because that will decide the contrast in your photograph. If on a sunny day you open the aperture completely or keep f stop at the lower end then your photograph will be completely washed out. In a contrary scenario, in low light conditions if you keep the f stop on the higher end or close the aperture, then your picture will be completely blacked out. It is necessary to know the reciprocity law between shutter and aperture and the effect of aperture on depth of field to get the perfect picture.