Using a wider aperture is useful in several photography situations, like shooting in low light or capturing portraits of others. If you use your aperture correctly, you can achieve fantastic results—but at their worst, images with a wide aperture can look flat.
When widening your aperture (i.e., dropping to f/5 or below), you need to consider multiple aspects. Composition is as important as ever, but the mode that you use on your camera can make a huge difference. Lighting is also a key consideration point.
Today, we’ll provide top tips for taking better photos with a wider aperture.
1. Use Aperture Priority Mode
Image byNijwam Swargiaryvia Unsplash. No attribution required.
Capturing images in Manual Modehas several advantages, and the main benefit is that you have complete control over your settings. But unless you’ve got a solid level of photography knowledge, you might find it difficult to strike the right balance inthe exposure triangle.
When photographing with a wider aperture on your camera, you must get the exposure triangle balance right; if you don’t, your photos can look more like drawings and—as a result—less realistic. With this in mind, Aperture Priority is an excellent choice if you’re planning to shoot with a wider aperture.
Aperture Priority lets you adjust how wide you want your F-stop to be. Many camera lenses have a dial on the lens that you can adjust—but in some cases, you might need to control the aperture from your camera body instead. You can also change the ISO, unless you pick Auto ISO. Based on your aperture and ISO, the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed to strike the right balance.
Note that in some cases, the shutter speed might reach a point where it’s practically impossible to take handheld photos. To prepare accordingly, consider checking outthe best tripods for DSLR cameras.
2. Think Outside the Box
What’s considered “normal” is subjective, but from a photography perspective, we’re referring to standard shots that most people would take. For example, it’s common to focus your camera on a person to put them in focus—with the background being blurrier.
When taking photos with a wider aperture, you may achieve great results if you’re willing to think outside the box. For example, why not consider trying a photoshoot with the person out of focus and the background in focus instead?
You’ll need to experiment, and it’s important to remember that not everything will pay off. Get creative in post-production as well; instead of creating a background blur in photo editing software, try seeing what happens when you increase the blur on the person or people in your shot instead.
3. Don’t Ignore the Background Colors
Of course, you can also take photos with a wider aperture that include a blurrier background. But even if your background doesn’t look sharp, that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Thinking about colors is a great starting point, and you can even create a bokeh effect that captivates the viewer.
When thinking about colors in the background of your photo, you should also think about the main subject. Try to pick complementary colors that will make the audience more likely to pay attention to your image—especially if you’re posting on social media and trying to get people to notice you.
If you’re not sure which colors work best together, consider learning about complementary colors in design and photography. One useful (and free) tool that you can use is Adobe Color; we’ve got a full guide onwhat Adobe Color is, and why visual artists should use it.
4. Photograph Subjects Closer to You
When you take pictures of faraway subjects with a wide aperture, it can result in lots of your photos looking out of focus. This is especially true if you’re trying to photograph a landscape—there are plenty of otherlandscape photography mistakes you should avoid, too.
One of the easiest ways to take better pictures with a wide aperture is to photograph subjects closer to you. If you use a prime lens, you’ll need to either physically move closer to the subject or get them to move closer to you.
Many people will benefit from using a zoom lens instead, which means that you can stay where you are.Zoom lenses have several more advantages over prime lenses.
5. Understand the Limitations of Your Lens
It’s easy to think that a single lens will solve all of our photography problems, especially if we aren’t yet at an advanced level. But the reality is that every piece of camera equipment—no matter how expensive—has limitations that you must deal with.
Your lens might not be able to capture certain types of wide-aperture photography. For example, some zoom lenses only go as wide as f/4—which means that getting bokeh-style shots will be much more difficult.
When photographing images with a wider aperture, working with your lens' limitations will lead to a better overall shoot. Over time, you can always upgrade to a new lens once you have the means to do so. Remember tocheck for these things before buying used camera lenses.
6. Consider Your Lighting
Lighting is essential with wide-aperture photography, and it’s essential that you understand the level of light you have in your surroundings. Naturally, you’ll have less to work with at night—but you’re able to still utilize streetlights and other forms of artificial lighting.
Being more aware of how much light you have to work with will allow you to position your subjects better, along with ensuring that you get sharper results. Again, you might need to experiment to determine what works best for you.
Shooting With a Wide Aperture Can Produce Spectacular Results
Taking pictures with a wide aperture is about much more than simply dropping the F-stop on your camera. You also need to think carefully about your surroundings and where your subject is positioned in relation to that. Furthermore, you should consider the different colors in your photos—along with the camera mode you use.
By applying these tips and thinking outside the box with unique compositions, you should be able to achieve more unique results with your wide-aperture photography.
