Aperture (photography)

Aperture in photography refers to the opening in a camera lens through which light passes. It’s expressed in f-stops (like f/2.8, f/5.6), where a lower number indicates a larger opening allowing more light, and a higher number indicates a smaller opening letting in less light. Aperture affects exposure—how bright or dark a photo appears—and depth of field, which is the range of focus in an image. A wider aperture creates a blurred background, emphasizing the subject, while a smaller aperture brings more of the scene into focus. Understanding aperture is key to achieving desired photographic effects.