52/365 - Week 3: Aperture Priority Mode

This week was all about choosing the aperture size manually...in other words, what effect does changing the f/stop have on the image. It has been a challenge for me to get these photos because I really wanted to do this with a portrait, but my 17-month-old subject doesn't stay still long enough to get the desired image. So, my second attempt was with toys...they stay very still and let you take as many pictures as you need. I am going to make another attempt at outdoor portrait this weekend, but here are a few image that demonstrate the point pretty well.

All shots were taken with a Canon 20D, Lens 18-55, No Flash, and a Focal Length of 50mm.


#1 -
f/5.6
1/30
ISO 400
AWB - Fluorescent






#2 -
f/10
1/10
ISO 400
AWB - Fluorescent






#3 -
f/14
1/6
ISO 400
AWB - Fluorescent






#4 -
f/25
1/5
ISO 1600
AWB - Fluorescent





Notice that the first image has the lower f/stop and the background is blurred. This makes the subject of the picture stand out. As the f/stop was increased, the background became more focused. In other words, the higher the f/stop, the greater the depth of field. Pretty cool huh?

Also notice that the more I stopped down the f/stop (increased it), the slower the shutter speed. In the final image, I had to also change the ISO setting so that I could get a focused image without using flash. The higher ISO allows more light onto the image sensor, but creates a grainier (noisier) image. If you click on the image, you will get a larger version and will be able to see the grain.