How to Use the Aperture in Conjunction With Shutter Speed in Digital Cameras
To shoot a good photograph, the photographer must coordinate the shutter speed -- the length of time the picture is exposed -- with the aperture -- the amount of light coming through the lens. Too little light, and the photo will be dark and vice versa.
Controlling the aperture, also called an f/stop, is important because it determines the depth of field of the photograph. A low f/stop allows a lot of light through the lens. The more light, the fuzzier the background of your picture. The less light, the sharper the background.
Most digital cameras offer aperture-priority mode. That means you set the f/stop and the camera adjusts the corresponding shutter speed.
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Instructions
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Set the camera's shooting mode to aperture-priority. This is typically marked with an "A" or "Av."
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Set the desired f/stop. If you want a shallow depth of field, choose the lowest f/stop available. If you want the background focus to be sharp, select a higher f/stop. The camera will set the correct shutter speed.
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Frame the image and take the picture.
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Tips & Warnings
Most digital cameras will also allow you to control just the shutter speed (shutter-priority mode) or both the shutter speed and the aperture (manual mode).
Low f/stops are difficult to use in very sunny environments because it will allow too much light into the lens. Try moving the subject into a shaded area.
References
- Photo Credit red flowers tree with shallow depth of field image by Ferenc Szelepcsenyi from Fotolia.com
