Aperture

The aperture is like the iris in your eye – if it’s bright your iris closes to a small opening, limiting the light coming in; whereas in a dark room, your iris opens up to allow more light in. Fully open, the aperture will let in the most light, but the depth of the area in focus will be shallow. Close down the aperture and less light will be able to come in, but your depth of focus will be deeper. Aperture is measured in F stops – the lower the number (F2.8 – F4) the more light will come in. A low aperture of around F4 – F5.6 is good for bikes as it should keep the bike in focus, but the background will be less sharp.