If you’re new to photography, the term “f/stop” (written as “f/” followed by a number) probably looks a bit confusing. Don’t worry—it’s not as complicated as it looks! In this blog post, we’ll break down what f/stop is and how it affects your photos.
What is f/stop?
In photography, the term “f/stop” refers to the size of the aperture in your camera lens. The aperture is the opening in the lens through which light passes to reach the sensor. The bigger the aperture (or “hole”), the more light that will reach the sensor, and vice versa.
Aperture size affects two things: depth of field and shutter speed. Depth of field refers to how much of your photo is in focus. A large aperture (low f/stop number) will result in a shallow depth of field, which means that only a small portion of your photo will be in focus. This can be used to create beautiful portraits with a blurred background, for example. On the other hand, a small aperture (high f/stop number) will result in a deep depth of field, which means that most of your photo will be in focus. This is often used for landscape photography.
Shutter speed refers to how long your camera’s shutter stays open while taking a photo. A longer shutter speed means that more light will reach the sensor, but it also means that there is a greater chance for blurriness if your camera moves at all during the exposure. A shorter shutter speed means that less light will reach the sensor, but it also means that there is less chance for the blurriness. So, if you want to take a long exposure photo with a low ISO setting (which we’ll get to in a minute), you’ll need to use a tripod to keep your camera completely still during the exposure.
Now that you know what f/stop is and how it affects your photos, experiment with different settings to see what results you can achieve! Remember, a lower f/stop number corresponds to a larger aperture (and vice versa), so play around with aperture size to get different depths of field in your photos. And if you want to experiment with long exposures, don’t forget to use a tripod!
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