What is the aperture?

Aperture refers to the size of the opening, usually on a lens, that allows light to get into the camera. A large (open) aperture means a lot of light will get in, while a small (closed) aperture translates to less light. A lens can be compared to the human eye in this case. Our pupils constrict when there is too much light and it dilates when we‘re in dark environments.

When we talk about a large aperture, we’re referring to a small number, for example f/2.8, as this is when the aperture is at its most open. Conversely, a small aperture would be f/16 as the aperture in this position is at its closest to being closed.

Lomography Minitar-1 2.8/32 Art Lens

Both open and closed apertures have their own specific applications when it comes to photography. As a general rule, you‘d want to keep your aperture open if you would like your images to look brighter. On the other hand, you can adjust the look of your shots with a closed aperture if you‘re going for a more dark and moody image.

Another thing to consider here is if you want to make your images look sharper or softer. A large aperture typically gives your images a softer look while a smaller aperture helps in improving the sharpness of an image.

Learning the different characteristics of different aperture openings will greatly help you improve your photography skill.

Anything missing?

Can’t find an answer to your question? Or do you have some useful advice to add to one of our courses? We want to build the world’s largest analogue learning space, so please send any further requests or information to school@lomography.com and we’ll take a look!

More Courses

  • What are the different types of film cameras?

    From a SLR, to TLR, to rangefinder or point & shoot cameras – find out how these different types of cameras operate.

  • What is the sunny16 rule?

    What is the sunny16 rule?

    The Sunny 16 Rule is a way to meter for correct exposure during daylight without using the camera’s meter. It is great for photographers who don’t want to get slowed down by metering for every shot or rely too much on their camera’s in-built light meter.

  • What does it mean to overexpose vs underexpose a photo?

    What does it mean to overexpose vs underexpose a photo?

    Put simply, an overexposed image is one that is brighter than the reality of the scene you’re trying to photograph, while an underexposed image is darker than reality. Overexposure generally means you are giving your film too much light, and with underexposure you have the opposite problem of not enough light.

  • What is parallax error and how can I avoid it?

    What is parallax error and how can I avoid it?

    Parallax error, also known as a viewfinder error, is the shift in the apparent position of your subject due to the difference between what your lens sees and what your viewfinder shows. This can affect a photograph’s composition, framing and depth, but there are easy steps we can take to minimise it from happening.

  • Do I have to load film in my camera in the dark?

    There’s no need to load film in the dark but going under the shade or subdued lighting are ideal conditions when loading film.

  • What is the difference between a full-frame and half-frame camera?

    Full-frame film cameras create an image across the entire 36 mm by 24 mm frame. Whereas half-frame cameras can fit two images onto one frame and each image measures 18 mm by 24 mm.

  • How many photos can you take on a 35 mm film?

    A standard roll of 35 mm film allows you to take 36 photos. However certain film stocks only allow 24 photos to be taken. The number of exposures is indicated on the outside of the box of film.

  • What is the difference between analogue and digital?

    Analogue and digital formats are both ways of storing information. In analogue technology, waves or signals are stored in their original form (such as vinyl where grooves are etched in order to create sound waves on the disk itself.) However, in digital technology, waves or signals are converted into numbers and stored as code on a digital device such as a hard drive, memory card or computer.

  • What does bokeh mean?

    What does bokeh mean?

    Coming from the Japanese word “boke-aji” which means the quality of blur, bokeh describes the quality of a photo’s “blurry“ and out-of-focus portion.