newbie question

[Fatally Yours]

ok, i JUST started getting into photography, so plz dont flame me.


anyways, what is "aperture"? and how is this adjusted / controlled?

[cecilc]

You'll get no "flames" here for getting into photography ....

But doing an internet search on "aperture" will probably give you all the resources you'll need and can read to find out about "aperture"; "shutter'; and any other photo term you'd like to explore ....

[Ken Fong]

Aperture is the part of the lens that controls the amount of light going into your exposure (the other control being time)...the human equivalent would be your eye's pupil. Aperture is expressed in units called 'stops'...each stop represents half the amount of light of the previous setting as you go smaller. The larger the aperture number, the smaller the opening. Adjusting aperture allows you to control what's called 'depth of field' (DOF)...the effect of isolating your subject by making its foreground/background blurred. Large openings reduce your DOF, isolating your subject; smaller openings increase the DOF bringing more things into focus.

[Jesper]

To learn the basics about aperture, shutter speed, exposure, etc., go to the Photography section of a book store. There are lots of nice beginner's books about photography available, which will teach you a lot about how your camera works in a short time. If you buy a book, it doesn't even have to be specifically about digital cameras, as the principles of digital and film cameras are the same.

[Andy_T]

To learn the basics about aperture, shutter speed, exposure, etc., go to the Photography section of a book store.

Very good advice here.

However, if you don't have the time, another option would be to take a look at this thread:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=35960

Photosguy has posted an incredible link list that will answer this and a lot of other questions.

Best regards,
Andy

[PhotosGuy]

Take a look at these links:

How Cameras Work
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/camera.htm
SLR vs. Point-and-Shoot
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/camera7.htm

MONITOR CALIBRATION - a good place to start
Monitor Calibration and Characterisation + Photoshop CS Colour Settings
http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps8-colour/ps8_1.htm
http://www.ltlimagery.com/monitor_calibration.html
Then: Colour settings in Photoshop
http://www.dcmag.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=247&SP=336525370515510295520&v=2
Part 1 - Monitor Calibration and Characterisation
http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps7-colour/ps7_2.htm

Monitor (or System) Calibration with Adobe Gamma
http://www.aim-dtp.net/aim/photoshop/v6/adobe_gamma.htm
Continue to Photoshop v 6.0 calibration
http://www.aim-dtp.net/aim/photoshop/v6/color-settings.htm
Accurate Image Manipulation for Desktop Publishing - GREAT VISUAL DEMO!
http://www.aim-dtp.net/aim/evaluation/gamma_error/index.htm

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=38&pq-locale=en_US

Photo basics:
http://photos.msn.com/
http://photos.msn.com/department/photobasics.aspx
http://www.grumpysworld.com/photoguide/photoguide.htm
http://www.grumpysworld.com/photoguide/basics.htm

Understanding Exposure - A Complex Subject Made Simple for Beginners
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understandexposure.shtml
Accurate Exposure with Your Meter
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/products/techInfo/af9/

Excellent Camera lessons: Resolution, White Balance, Depth of Field (Focus), Product, & more.
http://www.webphotoschool.com/newschool/default.asp
White balance - good article
http://www.webphotoschool.com/newschool/freelessons/lessons/d560wbIn/index.html
Using the Kodak Gray Card to determine a 'starting' exposure:
http://www.rogercavanagh.com/helpinfo/29_graycard.htm

"Shanzcan Tutorials"
Petterie's photography lessons - Excellent
The Rule of Thirds;Simplification; Street photography; Phony subject; Geometry; Light; Available light situationals; Fun at 28 mm; The Faithful 50
Post-processing:
Levels; Sharpening;Sharpness, resolution, and accutance; What does USM do?
What to watch out for: haloes, noise, and aliasing
Setting the variables; Recap: how to sharpen with USM
An extra twist: de-fogging
When to apply USM?
Assignments
Matting and framing
Curves
Layers and Masks
http://www.seittipaja.fi/data/Photography_lessons/a_Photography_lessons.html
http://www.seittipaja.fi/data/Photography_lessons/Processing/Lesson_2/_Sharpening.html

Taking Photos of Reflective Objects
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/reflect.htm

Macro Photography
http://www.photo.net/macro/primer

Portrait Photography - an exhibit/tutorial by Philip Greenspun
http://www.photo.net/portraits/intro

PHOTOWORKSHOP.com - Recommended by Canon tech support:
http://www.photoworkshop.com/
http://www.photoworkshop.com/public/pages/sitemap.html
Canon Digital Learning Center (Lessons):
http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/index.html
Canon Explorers of Light Galleries:
http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/explorers/index.html
http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/explorers/lobby.html (Skip intro)
Robert Farber interactive photography workshop:
Register for monthly newsletter -
http://www.photoworkshop.com/registered/pages/darkroom01.html
In the Office: Fees (realplayer)
http://www.photoworkshop.com/registered/pages/office.html
Digital File Naming Conventions
http://www.photoworkshop.com/double_exposure/publish/article_326.shtml

Photoshop for Photographers
http://www.epaperpress.com/psphoto/index.html

Being "in The Moment"
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/telling.shtml

I took the pic. What do I do now?
Color Management
http://www.arraich.com/ps6_tips_colormanage1.htm

Instant Photoshop - A Fast-Start Introduction to Photoshop For Photographers
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/instant_photoshop.shtml
Photoshop techniques: (If you work through them all, you'll probably know more about the program than I do!)
http://www.arraich.com/ps_intro.htm

Understanding DSLR Workflow
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/digital-workflow.shtml
A Digital Workflow Primer
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/techniques/process.shtml
An Image Processing Workflow - Step-by-Step Processing of Photographs using Photoshop
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/workflow1.shtml
Scripted workflow
http://www.rogercavanagh.com/actions.htm

A SMART SHARPENING TUTORIAL (& High Pass method)
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/smart_sharp.shtml

Printing:
Why do we need soft proof preview?
http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps6_softproof/ps6_softproof_1.htm
PSCS - Configuring Colour Management
http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps8-colour/ps8_1.htm + 6-8 too.
PS7&CS - Managing Colour When Printing
http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps7_print/ps7_print_mac.htm


Combining images:
http://www.arraich.com/ps6_tips_combine1.htm

Photo$Hop Elements users
http://www.arraich.com/elements/psE_intro.htm

Artistic Filtering
http://www.arraich.com/elements/pse_ooutline1.htm

That should keep you busy for awhile!
:lol:

[Fatally Yours]

wow, thanks.