Here’s a refresher on exactly what the different aperture settings on your camera do to your photos and how to alter the depth of field in your photographs. Simply put when the aperture is wide open it is reflected in as an f-stop, written as an f followed by a small number like 2.8 or 4.0. When the aperture is smaller it is represented as an f followed by higher number like 8 or 11 or even 22.
The wider the opening the shallower depth of field your photos have. The subject will be in focus but the foreground and background will not be. The smaller opening the more depth of field you have so more front to back of the photo is in focus. In addition to your aperture you can use different focal lengths and different distances from your subjects to have totally different looks for your subject. For more information and examples of how you can make your images have different looks, check out photoaxe.com.
—Melissa Macatee
Contributing Blogger