Outdoor Photography How To

Today's how-to video from the Hamed Photography YouTube channel explores one of the most fundamental concepts in photography; namely the f/stop setting you choose. Hamed is a successful pro whose straightforward tutorials are designed to help elevate your skills, master important shooting techniques, and introduce you to the world of visual storytelling.

He describes today's topic like this: "Whether you're shooting with a DSLR, mirrorless camera, or even a smartphone with manual controls, mastering aperture will give you creative control over your images and videos.

Aperture refers to the opening in a lens through which light enters the camera and falls on the sensor. It one of the variables in the familiar Exposure triangle—alongside shutter speed and ISO— that interact to determine a correct exposure. In basic terms, "the lower the f-number the wider the aperture and the more light it allows in."

Conversely, a smaller f-number like f/16 or f/22  means a narrower aperture with less light reaching the sensor. You may ask your why it matters whether you control exposure by changing shutter speed, ISO, or aperture, and the answer is simple: The f/stop setting you use has a significant impact on depth of field which is the area in focus in front of and behind a key subject.

Hamed illustrates how wide apertures create a shallow depth of field, "which means only a thin slice of the scene is in sharp focus"—a popular technique for wildlife photos, nature scenes, environmental portraits, and other types of images shot against distracting backgrounds.

Narrow apertures, on the other hand, produce a deeper zone of focus—thereby keeping more of the scene critically sharp. As Hamed says, "this approach is ideal for landscapes, architecture, and product photography where maximum sharpness throughout the frame is important." He also explains how manipulating the f/stop can determine the overall mood and story of an image and is a key component for unlocking your creative potential.

Once you're done watching head over to the Hamed Photography YouTube channel where there are many more instructional videos that demystify the photography process.

We recently shared a tutorial explaining another key camera technique that's essential to master; namely, how to capture precisely focused photographs in difficult situations by understanding how a camera's AF system works and then putting the Single-Point mode to work.