One of the greatest mistakes a wildlife photographer – amateur or professional – can make is to disregard the wealth of benefits that can be found by shooting at a wide variety of aperture settings. So often it seems that the pursuit of bokeh, or diffuse surroundings, consumes the imagination, limiting the myriad ways in which individual encounters can be viewed, and, as a result, the diversity of images that can potentially be produced.
The aperture is created by a set of sliding blades in a lens, which control the size of the hole through which light can pass to the sensor. Controlling the size of the hole in your lens might be crucial to making a good exposure, but it also allows you to get creative with sharpness and blur. Large apertures such as f/2.8 cause more of a scene from to be blurred, whereas choosing a higher f-number brings more of a scene into sharp focus.
Over the following pages I’ll show you just what can be achieved by stepping back for a moment and giving every individual opportunity more consideration when it comes to your aperture choice. After a refresher in the basics of what aperture is and how it can be used, we’ll look which situations lend themselves to different apertures, from f/2.8 all the way up to f/32. First, you’ll learn how to shoot dramatic, expansive habitat shots – images that almost look more like paintings, with front-to-back sharpness and filled with detail and narrative, and then you’ll discover how to produce detailed and intimate close-ups that are ethical but texturally rich.
Aperture is one of the single most important camera settings that you have in terms of crafting images – let’s explore together what can be achieved.
WHAT’S APERTURE ALL ABOUT?
Denne historien er fra April 29, 2021-utgaven av Photography week.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 29, 2021-utgaven av Photography week.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CALIBRATE YOUR COLOURS
James Paterson reveals how he captures stunningly colourful sunsets by using this secret weapon
ABSTRACT PORTRAITS
Mike Harris shows you how to use slow shutter speeds and multiple exposures to capture a series of motion-blur portraits
BREATHTAKNG IMAGES FROM ABOVE AND BELOW THE WAVES
A final hit of inspiraton: Ocean Photographer of the Year reveals stunning winning photos
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO AUTUMN
James Abbott reveals the secrets to capturing amazing images during the most eye-catching season of the year
CANON UNVEILS NEW PORTABLE, FULLY-WIRELESS PHOTO PRINTER
The Selphy QX20 is ideal for quickly printing your smartphone snaps on the go
FUJINON GF120MM F4 MACRO R LM OIS WR
This powerful medium-format lens is ideally suited to extreme close-ups
HOW TO...CLEAN UP A SCENE WITH AI
James Paterson shows you how the AI-powered Remove Tool can revolutionise your retouching
SHOOT AN '80S PORTRAIT
Jason Parnell-Brookes recreates the neon look of the 1980s using torches and hollow acrylic rods
THE BEST MONOCHROME IMAGE OF 2024 IS A REAL CRACKER
Black and White Photo Awards announces stunning selection of winning images
88 TIPS FOR GREAT BABY PHOTOS
From lighting to posing and pacifying, here's how you get the perfect shot