Aperture is one of the three pillars of photography, along with shutter speed and ISO. It refers to the opening in a camera lens through which light passes to enter the camera. The aperture is calibrated in f/stops and is generally written as numbers such as 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, and 16. Lower f/stops give more exposure because they represent larger apertures, while higher f/stops give less exposure because they represent smaller apertures.
The aperture controls the amount of light entering the camera. It can be adjusted to allow more or less light to reach the camera sensor. A smaller aperture means less light is transmitted through the lens. Aperture can add dimension to photos by controlling depth of field, which is the zone of acceptable sharpness in front of and behind the subject on which the lens is focused. The lower the f/stop, the larger the aperture, and the shallower the depth of field.
Photographers can adjust the size of the aperture either on the lens itself manually or through the cameras electronics. Aperture priority is a camera mode that allows the photographer to set the aperture while the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to achieve the correct exposure.
In summary, aperture is the opening in a camera lens through which light passes to enter the camera. It is calibrated in f/stops and controls the amount of light entering the camera. Aperture can add dimension to photos by controlling depth of field, and photographers can adjust the size of the aperture either manually or through the camera's electronics.
