Aperture in Photography: How the f-stop Affects Your Photos

You’ve probably heard of the exposure triangle – that classic photography concept meant to explain how light, shutter speed, and aperture in photography work together to create an image. And if you’re just getting into photography, you might also be wondering why photographers can’t just explain things without sounding like they’re cracking open a physics textbook.

So let’s make this simple.

What does the Aperture mean?

Aperture in photography refers to the size of the hole in your lens. A literal opening that allows light to pass through and hit your film or digital sensor. You can make it bigger, you can make it smaller. And somewhere along the way, someone decided to measure it using fractions, which is why we get numbers like f/2.8, f/8, or f/22.

How does each aperture feel?

But here’s the thing: aperture is less about numbers and more about feeling.

Want a portrait where the background melts into a creamy blur, drawing all the attention to your subject? That’s a low f-number (like f/2.8 or f/4). More light gets in, the depth of field becomes shallow, and suddenly your subject is floating in a soft, dreamy haze.

Now, let’s say you’re standing in front of a vast landscape – mountains stretching for miles, every detail crisp and sharp from the blades of grass at your feet to the peaks in the distance. For that, you need everything in focus. So you crank your aperture down to f/16 or f/22, letting in less light but making sure every inch of the scene is tack-sharp.

The numbers? They don’t matter as much as the mood. The f-stop is the feeling stop. Instead of worrying about equations, ask yourself: How do I want this image to feel? Soft and intimate? Expansive and detailed? Somewhere in between?

Forget the formulas. Just trust your eyes, trust your instincts, and let the photograph tell you what it needs.