Aperture and Shutter Speed are two terms that are always referred when talking of photography, these are two out of the many things that can affect the quality of your photos. Aperture and Shutter Speed are two terms that are often misunderstood and used almost interchangeably. However, they are different and have significance in the overall impact of your photos. Aperture and shutter speed are dependent upon light and make use of it to enhance the features of photographs.
In order for an image to be captured on a film, it needs exposure to light. There are two tools in a camera to control the amount of light reaching the film called shutter and aperture. Shutter keeps all light blocked until you press its button. It quickly opens and closes, briefly allowing light to go inside. You can control the amount of light entering by increasing or decreasing the shutter speed. The light reaches the film after passing through a small opening called aperture. You can control the aperture opening, also known as f-stop. Smaller f-stops mean larger openings, while larger f-stops mean smaller openings.
Long exposure of 1 second gives much more light to the film than an exposure of 1/1000 seconds. Exposure is all about controlling shutter speeds and aperture openings called f-stops. Combinations of shutter speed and aperture opening can drastically alter the finished image quality. Since both aperture and shutter speeds are counted in stops, it is crucial to keep a balance between the two. If you are taking a stop from aperture, it is better to give a stop to shutter.
Normally, a faster shutter speed requires a larger aperture to allow enough light into the camera, and a slower shutter speed will require the aperture to be small to prevent too much light from entering the camera. If you are shooting in brilliant light, you need to keep a high shutter speed to allow only a little bit of light entering inside the camera. Shooting a stationary object or slow moving object can be shot with a slower shutter speed but for an object that is moving fast, you need a fast shutter speed.
If you are a beginner and do not want to confuse yourself with all this jargon, it is better to get hold of a camera with a semi-automatic setting.
| Summary
• Shutter speed and aperture are important in controlling the amount of light entering the camera. • Aperture is the small opening allowing light on to the film while shutter speed is the length of time that sensor is exposed to light. • Aperture and shutter speeds are inversely proportional to each other and you need a balance between the two to achieve desirable results. |