Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

Aperture (f-stops) primarily controls what aspect of a photograph?

1. Brightness

2. Depth of field

3. Shutter speed

4. Contrast

The correct answer is: Depth of field

Aperture, represented in f-stops, plays a crucial role in photography by determining the amount of light that enters the camera through the lens and, more importantly, by controlling the depth of field. Depth of field refers to the range of distance within a photo that appears acceptably sharp. When the aperture is wide (a lower f-stop number), it allows more light to enter and results in a shallow depth of field, effectively blurring the background and isolating the subject. This technique is often used in portrait photography to make the subject stand out. Conversely, a narrow aperture (a higher f-stop number) allows less light and results in a greater depth of field, which keeps more elements in focus and is commonly used in landscape photography. While aperture does influence brightness, as it affects the quantity of light entering the camera, its primary function in photography is to create varying depths of field, enhancing composition and focus. Therefore, recognizing this relationship and understanding how aperture impacts depth of field is essential for controlling the visual narrative of an image.