Cartwheels In My Mind: Transforming Vision.

About Aperture:

Since this is the first photography article I've posted here, I thought a little background might be a good idea. I decided to pursue photography more seriously about 5 years ago. I had no idea how little I knew. I had gotten lucky and taken some decent shots with my film camera and thought I knew more than I did. When I purchased my first DSLR, I started really studying online and trying to figure out what I was doing. I took an online class and although the class was somewhat helpful, I learned more by being a part of the private message board of the participants. The other photographers that were on that board were far and away more knowledgeable than anyone I had ever met (many of them have gone on to have VERY successful careers...and I knew them when!) I started sharing my work and getting feedback. They were brutally honest with me, which is what I needed, as painful as it was. I continued to read and study everything I could find. It was extremely overwhelming in the beginning. Tom came home from work a few times, to find me at the computer, teary-eyed, thinking that I would never "get it". Eventually, some of the technical things began to click and I saw quite a bit of improvement in my images. I wasn't just capturing the emotions or just nailing composition, I was seeing that my focus was more crisp and I was applying what I was learning.

I shared all this because I want to encourage those of you who are just beginning. Take it one step at a time and don't try to learn everything at once. I will be sharing simple photography tips that will hopefully be written clearly for those who aren't familiar with photography lingo.

Today I want to focus on aperture. Aperture is the amount of light that enters your camera. A wider aperture (low number) allows more light and a more shallow depth of field. Just your focal object/person will be in focus and the rest of the image will be out of focus. A more closed aperture (higher number) means less light will be allowed and the more everything in your frame will be in focus.

I adore a shallow depth of field. Here are a few examples:

I shot this wide open with my aperture set at f1.4, using my 50mm1.4 lens.

I set my camera on a wide rail and then snapped this very shallow depth of field shot.

My favorite shallow depth of field shots are of people.

My friend Lisa Truesdell took this photo of Sam that shows a cool shallow depth of field. You can check out Lisa's blog here

Baby toes are always fun to photograph with a shallow depth of field too.

Here's an example of a more closed aperture:

Everything in the frame is in focus and it was shot at about f22. A more closed aperture is good for landscapes or group shots with people at different depths.