[Photography] 10 Tips for Beautiful Black and White Headshots

The post 10 Tips for Beautiful Black and White Headshots appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

Have you tried B&W headshots? Is it something you aspire to? What tips below do you think you could add to your ‘bag of tools’ when it comes to your photography?

Black and white has long been a popular way to capture headshots with impact and visual interest. The lack of color helps to emphasize the subject while discarding information that isn’t relevant. 

And in this article, I’m going to share 10 black and white headshot tips to help you get the best results.

Let’s get started.

Headshots vs. portraits

A headshot is always a portrait, but a portrait (including a closely cropped portrait) is not always a headshot. Remember, headshots (no matter the type) come with a specific goal.

If you’re new to portrait photography, it might help to clear up what a headshot actually is before you try to create one.

Portraits: In general terms, a portrait photograph is a representation of a person. Portrait photography is a broad genre that encompasses nearly every subgenre that involves photographing people. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking studio portraits, street candids, or fashion photography. If it has a person in the frame, it’s probably a portrait.

Headshots: Headshots are a subgenre of portrait photography. The difference is that headshots serve a very specific purpose. Whether it’s actors’ headshots or corporate headshots, the purpose is to sell something. That something could be an actor’s ability to fit a role’s physical requirements, or it could be your business professionalism.

Headshots are limited to close-up images of the subject’s head. They can also include head and shoulders as well as half-length shots. Before capturing a headshot, it’s important you understand where and how the photo will be used so you can get the right shot for the right purpose.

Tips for black and white headshots

Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro | 50mm | 1/80s | f/5.6 | ISO 100

There are no hard and fast rules for creating headshots. However, following these tips will hopefully help!

And as always with photography, remember: There is no one way to do anything.

In other words, nothing listed here is a rule of any sort. If a tip fails to help you get the results you want or need, then discard or revamp it.  

1. Remember that a headshot is different from a portrait

Yes, we’ve already discussed this – but when you’re in the middle of a session, it’s easy to get caught up and start changing your approach. This may not be a problem in a normal portrait session, but with headshots, you need to make sure you’re focused on the specific end result. If you change tack and the results aren’t showing your subject in the desired manner, you’ll have wasted time and effort on images that are unsuitable for the subject’s uses.

One way to help keep you on track is to ask your subject to share the purpose of their headshot. Allow them to be as specific and detailed as possible. Once you have an answer to that question, you should find it much easier to stay on track. 

If you are photographing an actor with representation, ask them for their agency’s headshot guidelines (or ask the agency yourself). This will give you a strict set of limitations and help to ensure you get the required result. 

2. Getting it right in-camera is just as important as ever

By shooting with black and white in mind and getting it right in-camera, you can help make the conversion process much easier.
Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro | 50mm | 1/125s | f/5.6 | ISO 100

Depending on where your headshots are going to wind up, you might find that you can’t do any edits beyond basic retouching. You should be allowed a black and white conversion and some basic blemish removal, but much more than that might not be acceptable. 

Therefore, do whatever you can to get your images right in the camera. Light your images well with good exposure and good contrast. Learn your lighting patterns and use a meter if you have to. 

Get this step right, and you might find that you have little more editing to do beyond the actual black and white conversion.

3. Start in color

It might be tempting to set your camera to a black and white mode at the point of shooting. You can do this – but if you shoot JPEGs, I would advise against it.

By choosing this route, you will be discarding a huge amount of color information at the very beginning. For the best conversions, you’ll want to later manipulate your color information to get the very best black and white results.

(However, note that RAW shooters can use a black and white mode while still retaining color information.) 

4. Avoid shooting to crop

By cropping down to a head-and-shoulders composition, you discard most of the information in the frame. Instead, try to get your compositions right at the shooting stage.

This might be controversial, but I’ll stand by it. When you are creating black and white headshots, try to get your composition as close as possible to how you want it to end up.

Doing this will ensure that your images are as big as possible and have as much detail as possible when you pass them on to your client. If you shoot before cropping out significant parts of your image, you will lose out on a large chunk of resolution.

5. Control contrast with light, not post-production

Using a medium-sized octabox up close allows for extremely soft light, thus controlling the contrast. Also, at camera right, you see a background light that reduces the overall contrast in the image.

This point goes back to getting it right in-camera, but specifically for lighting.

One of the quickest ways to ruin a portrait is to add a lot of unnatural contrast in the post-production phase.

Avoid this by setting up your lights to get the contrast you want from the very start. 

You can do this through modifier selection and lighting ratios. 

6. Use fill to control your contrast

Left: Without fill. Right: With fill. Here you can see how a fill light might help you lift the shadows and control the contrast in your images.

If you want to decrease contrast, make sure to do it in-camera.

You can do this with fill light. Whether you work with a dedicated second light source or a reflector, introducing fill into your images is a great way to control exactly how your black and white headshots turn out.

7. Think in values rather than color

In this image, you can see four distinct areas of value: The highlights of the skin, the midtones of the sweater, and two shadow areas for the hair and the background. Being able to see these at the time of shooting will help you design your black and white headshots better.
Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro | 50mm | 1/160 sec | f/4 | ISO 100

Because you are starting in color, it can help to think of things in terms of values.

At its most basic, value simply describes where colors fall on a spectrum between pure white and pure black.

Now, once converted to black and white, almost everything in your images will appear as a shade of gray. If you can visualize how the colors you see with your eyes will be represented in a black and white conversion, you will be better able to design your lighting before your subject even arrives. 

How do you learn to do this?

Practice. A lot of it.

Get out there and photograph anything and everything you can, then convert to black and white so you can build this skill.

Remember, different conversion techniques affect color and value in different ways, so be sure to practice with as many conversion methods as possible. 

8. Minimize details in the frame

Because we are talking about headshots, you’ll need to remember that the entire point of the photograph is the person. Any extra details will only serve to detract from your subject.

So do what you can to minimize the impact of the background, the subject’s clothing, and other elements in the photo.

For backgrounds, you can focus your efforts on finding the cleanest, most non-distracting backdrop. For clothing, ask your subjects to dress without distracting elements that would take the focus off of them. Patterns can be fine, but it might be best if you avoided particularly bold choices like leopard-print and zebra-stripe tops.

9. Focus on form

When you are lighting your subject, take the time to ensure that you’re using the light to shape their features in the best way possible.
Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro | 50mm | 1/100s | f/9 | ISO 100

This goes back to basic lighting skills.

You need to shape your subject’s face in a flattering way that also helps it stand out in the frame.

You are trying to minimize other details, so it is the subject’s features you must focus on. Make as much use of them as you can. 

10. Eyes and expressions are more important than ever

With headshots, expressions and eye contact are more important than ever. Do what you can to develop a rapport with your subjects.

As the goal of a headshot is to make your subject look as good as possible, and as you have already reduced the impact of distracting elements, your subject’s eyes and expression become more important than ever. 

Lighting for the eyes will keep them bright and prominent in the frame. Doing this also means you won’t have to spend time processing the eyes, which might work well for your client’s requirements. 

Also, to get the best expressions, ensure that your subject is comfortable and that you have a good rapport with them.

Black and white headshots: (not) the end

On their own, headshot photography and black and white photography are broad topics that are truly impossible to distill into a short list of tips. However, I do hope that these ten tips for black and white headshots will help you get started on your journey.

As always, none of these tips are rules, just guidance. If you feel that something I said doesn’t suit you or your photography, that’s perfectly fine.

Now over to you:

Which of these black and white headshot tips did you like the most? Do you have any tips for black and white headshot photography? Share your thoughts (and photos) in the comments below!

Should I shoot headshots in black and white mode?

If you’re shooting in JPEG, no. But if you’re shooting in RAW, you can decide whether to shoot in black and white or color (you won’t lose any image information in either mode).

Is black and white a good option for headshots?

Yes. Black and white allows you to strip down the information in the photo to its key elements (in this case, the person whose headshot it is).

What kind of light should I use for headshots?

Any soft light that flatters your subject is a good choice.

How should I do black and white conversions for my headshot photography?

Use whatever method suits you and your workflow best. Photoshop and Lightroom both offer great options for black and white conversions.

Updated 2025!

The post 10 Tips for Beautiful Black and White Headshots appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

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[Photography] Tethered Photography: A Step-By-Step Guide

The post Tethered Photography: A Step-By-Step Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

This article was updated in May 2025 with contributions from Simon and Lauren @ Tether Tools.

When I first delved into studio photography, I was so excited. I had my lighting, I had my camera and lenses, and I had some great subjects.

But after spending a few weeks shooting, I became frustrated. In the studio, every little detail counts. A blemish or piece of dust on a product, a slightly out-of-position light on a portrait, a too-powerful flash, an off-color ambient light; each has the potential to ruin the photo and make it useless to both you and your clients. Yet the camera LCD, and even the viewfinder, just didn’t offer large enough previews to check for these issues. I needed a better way to evaluate my studio shots. That’s when I tried tethering, and I immediately realized that it was the perfect solution to my problems.

So what is tethered photography? How does it work? And how can you efficiently tether your camera while shooting?

In this article, I explain everything you need to know about tethering, including:

• How tethering can instantly improve your workflow
• When you should (or shouldn’t) tether your camera
• Two simple ways to shoot tethered

Let’s dive right in.

What is tethered photography?

Tethered photography is the process of connecting your camera to a computer, tablet, or even a smartphone via a cable or wireless app. Once you’ve successfully connected the devices, any new image captured by the camera is then passed directly to the computer and saved in a designated folder.

Therefore, as soon as you press the camera shutter button, you can see your image displayed (in high resolution) on the computer screen. If you’re tethering in a program like Capture One or Lightroom, you can even make adjustments to your file; for instance, you can boost contrast, convert the shot to black and white, and apply presets.

Many tethering programs allow you to adjust camera settings from your computer, tablet, or smartphone – and you can fire the camera shutter from your device, too.

The benefits of shooting tethered

Tethering lets you quickly preview each photo on a large monitor within moments of firing the shutter button. That way, you and your client can scrutinize your shots on a big screen. You can check for perfect composition, focus, exposure, and subject blemishes – and your client can indicate what they like or dislike about each new file.

Depending on the tethering software you use, you might be able to apply various presets to the image, so as to better visualize the final (edited) result.

Tethering also lets you organize your images as you go along. In a program like Lightroom, you can add notes, star ratings, keywords, and more to each new photo. That way, you can stay on top of your file management, and you can record key information while it’s still fresh in your mind.

The downsides of tethered shooting

Tethering is great – but if you’re not careful, it can cause problems, too.

For one, you or your client might get too caught up in little details while inspecting the photos, which can stall a photoshoot. When tethering, it’s important to set expectations with your client. Let them know how you work and do what you can to set a steady pace.

Tethering can also suck the battery life out of both your camera and your connected computer. You should always carry extra batteries and – if possible – shoot near a wall socket in case you need to plug in your laptop. Tether Tools makes an external Camera power system that can give you all day uptime. It connects any USB battery pack to your camera through a battery coupler so you never have to stop your shooting to change batteries. 

And tethering software is notoriously finicky. It sometimes stops working for no apparent reason, so you’ll want to get set up and take some test shots before your photoshoot starts (so you have time to troubleshoot). You should also have a backup plan, just in case.

Finally, tethering requires extra equipment, such as a lengthy cord and a laptop or desktop computer. So while it might be tempting to tether for on-location shoots, consider carefully before hauling along your expensive electronics.

Ultimately, whether you tether is up to you. It’s a great way to improve the final product – but it can be slow, plus it involves extra software and moving parts, so if you need to do a fast-paced portrait session or an outdoors product shoot, it might be better to shoot the “normal” way.

Tethering your camera: essential equipment

The traditional and most reliable way to connect your camera to a computer or another device is with a cable. There are a variety of different cables and ports available, so the specifics will depend on your exact devices. (For further information, check your camera manual.)

Some cameras even offer wireless tethering. The image transfer process can be slower compared to cabled tethering, but if you prefer to work without a cord, this is a great method to try.

If you plan to tether with a cable, you’ll need:

• An extra-long (e.g., 15 feet) USB cable to connect your camera to your computer
• Tethering software, such as Adobe Lightroom (paid), Capture One (paid), or Canon EOS Utility (free)

I’d also recommend a portable table to hold your laptop such as the Tether Tools Aero Table, as well as a TetherGuard to prevent your USB cable from being yanked from your camera.

One thing to be aware of: with is the latest USB-C ports on newer cameras, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, the port protocol is designed to transfer both power and data.  Cameras with two USB-C ports may designate one port for power and one port for data/image transfer, so be sure you connect your tether cable to the right port.  For cameras with only one port, you’ll want to turn off camera power in your camera settings so that power is not sent or received through the USB port while tethering.  Another option is to use a cable that does not have Power Delivery (PD) to ensure the power does not conflict with data transfer.  

The Aero Table is a lightweight, durable, aluminum platform that attaches to almost any tripod or light stand. It’s a great way to hold a laptop when tethering!

If you’d prefer to tether wirelessly, then you can forgo the cable and the Jerkstopper – but you’ll still need the laptop, the table, and the tethering software.

How to shoot tethered: step-by-step instructions

In this section, I explain how to tether with two low-cost, simple programs: Adobe Lightroom and EOS Utility. I’m assuming you’re tethering with a cable (the process is similar when tethering wirelessly, albeit with a few extra wireless activation steps when starting out).

Shooting tethered in Lightroom

If you already own Lightroom, the quickest way to get started tethering is with the Lightroom Tethered Capture feature.

Step 1: Connect your camera to the computer

Make sure your camera is turned off. Connect one end of the cable to your camera and the other end to your computer. Then turn the camera on.

Step 2: Start Tethered Capture in Lightroom

Open Lightroom. Select File>Tethered Capture>Start Tethered Capture.

Step 3: Choose your tethered settings

In the Tethered Capture Settings dialog box, you can enter a session name, select a file naming template, pick a file destination, and apply metadata and keywords.

Pay careful attention to where the photos will be saved (you need to be able to find them later!).

Once you’re satisfied, click OK.

If all goes well, you’ll see the screen displayed below, with a narrow control panel and a Library where photos captured via the tethered shooting connection will appear. You should see your connected camera listed on the left-hand side:

Lightroom sometimes has difficulty detecting the connected camera. In that case, you’ll get a No Camera Detected message:

If that happens, make sure your version of Lightroom and your camera’s firmware are up to date. Also, check to ensure your camera can do tethered capture in Lightroom. If your camera cannot tether in Lightroom, you can use a third-party plugin as a workaround; do a search for your camera model and you may find a solution.

Finally, try rotating through several different USB cables to make sure they’re working well.

If you’ve done all of the above and you still can’t get tethering to work, you might want to try tethering using a different program, such as EOS Utility:

Shooting tethered with EOS Utility

If you own a Canon camera, you can use the free EOS Utility software, which offers a simple tethering program. In my experience, this method is more reliable and consistent than Lightroom’s Tethered Capture option.

Step 1: Download EOS Utility and connect your camera

Head over to the Canon website, find your camera, then select the latest version of EOS Utility:

Download the program. Then – with your camera turned off – plug in your tethering cable. Turn your camera back on.

Open the EOS Utility program on your computer. The software should recognize your connected camera, which means you can then select the Remote shooting option:

Step 2: Work with the EOS Utility interface

Once you’ve successfully selected Remote Shooting, you should see the following interface:

The display lets you adjust certain settings from your computer, though there are some functions, such as lens zooming, that you’ll need to do manually.

Next, if you have the option, set your camera to Live View mode. Your camera display should appear on your computer screen, so you can see exactly what your camera sees.

Then, when you take a photo, the file will appear on your desktop!

You’ve made it this far, you could pop over and check out ‘best practices’ from the tethering geniuses at Tether Tools – Troubleshooting Tethering

Enhance your photoshoots with tethering!

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know how to shoot tethered in both Lightroom and EOS Utility. And you’re ready to do some high-quality product or portrait photography.

So connect your camera to your computer. Test out tethering. See what you think!

Now over to you:

What type of photoshoot do you plan on tethering? Which software will you use? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Tethered Photography: A Step-By-Step Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

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[Photography] Front Light Photography: A Complete Guide

The post Front Light Photography: A Complete Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Editor’s Note: I’ve been seeing a lot of this in our feeds, so I thought I’d pop this article back at the top of the pile for you to take a look at! — Enjoy.

What is front lighting in photography? And how can you use front light to capture stunning photos?

In this article, I break it all down for you:

• What front light is
• When you should use front light (and when you should avoid it)
• How to work with front light to create the best images

Front light photography is powerful, it looks great, and it can certainly level up your portfolio – so if you’re ready to become a lighting master, then let’s dive right in, starting with the basics:

What is front light photography?

Front light illuminates the subject from the front, which means that the light itself generally comes from behind the photographer. In other words, the light travels over the photographer’s shoulder and impacts the subject head-on.

Because front lighting hits objects directly, front-lit photos tend to feature limited shadows and eye-catching, in-your-face subjects. Here’s an example front-lit image; pay attention to how the front of the hook is bright and lacks shadows:

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/8 | 1/100s | ISO 200

Note, however, that front lighting can come from high above the subject, far below the subject, or on a level with the subject. The angle of the front light source will determine shadow strength and positioning. While a scene that’s front-lit from the subject’s level will feature limited (or zero) shadows, a scene that’s front-lit from high above will generally have more noticeable shadows (e.g., shadows below a portrait subject’s nose and chin).

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/5.6 | 1/320s | ISO 200

When should you use front light?

Because front light produces minimal shadows, front-lit photography tends to look flat and lack depth. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re looking to create deep, three-dimensional images, side light – which comes from beside your subject and features lots of shadows – is often the better choice.

On the other hand, front light is great for capturing two-dimensional abstract shots:

Nikon D800 | 35mm | f/6.3 | 1/640s | ISO 200

It’s also good for many types of nature photography – including bird, wildlife, and macro photography – as it tends to clearly illuminate the subject and the background.

I’m a particular fan of using front light in portrait photography:

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/5.6 | 1/250s | ISO 200

Front lighting makes skin look smoother, particularly when the light is filtered and soft – while side lighting has a tendency to emphasize skin blemishes and wrinkles.

Plus, when a subject is front-lit, it’s easier to capture a well-exposed image.

Why? Front light tends to be very even, so your camera won’t struggle to determine proper exposure settings. For this reason, if you like to use your camera on an automatic or semi-automatic exposure mode, front light will often get you great results.

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/11 | 1/160s | ISO 400

Tips and techniques for front light photography

In this section, I share my key tips and tricks for front light photography settings, lighting choices, and more.

1. Use open shade for front-lit portraits

As I explained in the previous section, front lighting is great for portrait photography. However, you need to be careful when doing front-lit portraits; unless you’re working on an overcast day or late in the afternoon, a bright sun will produce all sorts of unpleasant shadows. It’ll also cause your subject to squint.

My recommendation? Maintain the front-lit direction, but move your subject into open shade. Position your subject near the edge of the shade, but don’t let them step over the shadow line; that way, their face will be softly illuminated and they won’t need to squint, but you’ll have plenty of bright light to work with.

By the way, you should also pay attention to reflective objects. Light can reflect off the ground, nearby cars, or building walls, and by positioning your subject near these reflective light sources, you can get beautiful effects.

Finally, if you’re stuck shooting with harsh midday light and you cannot move your subject into a shaded area, I encourage you to bring in some artificial lighting. A flash, an LED panel, or even a reflector will reduce hard shadows and add some shape to your subject.

Nikon D800 | 55mm | f/11 | 1/125s | ISO 200

2. Trust your camera’s exposure recommendations

As I emphasized above, front lighting is very even – which means that, when you point your camera at a front-lit subject, you’ll generally get a good exposure reading.

Of course, your camera can still make mistakes, especially when you’re shooting very light or very dark subjects. But overall, front lighting makes for easy exposures, whether you’re using Aperture Priority mode, Shutter Priority mode, Auto mode, or even Manual mode.

So when you’re working with front lighting, don’t stress too much about exposure adjustments and exposure compensation. Instead, review your images for exposure problems, but let your camera do the heavy lifting!

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/4 | 1/640s | ISO 400

3. Don’t be afraid to turn your subject

Front lighting can produce flat images.

And while flat shots can look interesting, many types of photography thrive off of three-dimensionality and depth.

Fortunately, there’s an easy solution:

If your shot is looking a little flat, then just turn your subject. This works great for portraits, and it’s also a good trick for shooting products and certain still-life subjects.

Of course, you don’t want to turn your subject too dramatically, but go for a subtle turn and see what you think. If you’re working with a portrait subject, ask them to turn slowly, and carefully watch how the light and shadows affect their face. (You may only need a slight turn to create a more three-dimensional photo!)

4. Pay attention to the light height

The height of the light source will dramatically affect your photos, so whenever you’re doing front light photography, you must pay careful attention to the light’s position!

Note that this is true for natural light and artificial light – though you do have more control over a flash or LED panel. If the sun is positioned too high or too low, you’ll often need to wait a few hours or come back another day, but if you don’t like the height of your off-camera flash, you can simply raise or lower the light stand. Make sense?

So when you’re using a flash or continuous light, experiment constantly with the light height. And as you work, watch how the light position affects shadows and creates different effects.

You’ll also need to watch out for unpleasant reflections. When shooting shiny subjects, for instance, a light positioned on a level with the subject will reflect right back into the camera lens, producing a distracting highlight. To avoid these reflections, try moving the light higher, lower, or (slightly) to the side.

Nikon D800 | 105mm | f/16 | 1/200s | ISO 200

5. Shoot during the golden hours

Afternoon front light can look nice, but if you want to really level up your photos, I encourage you to shoot during the golden hours – that is, the hour or two after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is low in the sky and the light is a beautiful golden color.

For one, the low sun produces very even front light, which offers minimal shadows and highly detailed results.

Plus, the light is more diffused – that is, softer – during the golden hours, so the shadows that do appear on your subject will look far more flattering.

And warm, golden light pretty much always looks incredible:

Nikon D800 | 35mm | f/5.6 | 1/160s | ISO 400

Front light photography: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you know all about front light, when you should use it, and how you can adjust your settings and scenes for the best results.

So head out with your camera and do some front lighting practice. See what you think of the results. Carefully watch your subjects and review the images as you work. Pretty soon, you’ll be using front light like a pro!

Now over to you:

When do you plan to use front lighting in your photos? Have you taken any front-lit photos you’re proud of? Share your thoughts – and photos! – in the comments below.

The post Front Light Photography: A Complete Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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[Photography] What Do the Numbers on Your Camera Lens Mean?

The post What Do the Numbers on Your Camera Lens Mean? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.

Camera lenses include quite a few numbers – and many of these are often confusing or obscure, especially for beginners.

That’s why, in this article, I’m going to run through all the important camera lens numbers you’ll encounter. I’ll explain what the numbers actually mean, and I’ll also explain why they matter for your photography.

By the time you’re finished, you’ll be a lens number expert, and you’ll never find yourself confused by your lens markings again.

Let’s jump right in.

Common numbers on newer digital lenses

Depending on the age of your lens, you’ll run into different markings. In this section, I’ll discuss numbers frequently found on newer lenses (though note that many will apply to old lenses, as well!).

Focal length

Zoom lenses feature a zoom ring; twist it, and your lens will zoom in and out.

Next to this ring, you’ll generally find focal length numbers. For example, if your lens is a 70-200mm zoom like mine (below), you’ll see markings that span from 70mm to 200mm. I’m currently at around 100mm:

A lens will never display every focal length but will instead offer a few useful intervals, as you can see in the image above.

If you are using a prime or fixed lens, you won’t have a zoom ring. Your lens will simply indicate the focal length on its barrel, as you can see on my 85mm lens:

Maximum aperture

The maximum aperture is the largest aperture opening your lens is capable of achieving. Note that the larger the aperture opening, the smaller the f-number (so f/2.8 corresponds to a very wide aperture, while f/22 corresponds to a very small aperture).

Larger apertures like f/2.8 or even f/1.8 are highly desirable because they allow you to shoot in low-light conditions while maintaining a fast shutter speed. So the best lenses – and the most expensive lenses – tend to offer a very wide maximum aperture.

(Note that some zoom lenses have a variable maximum aperture, where the maximum aperture will change depending on the focal length; this is represented as a range of numbers, such as f/3.5-6.3.)

Now, pretty much every lens has the maximum aperture written somewhere on its body. You can usually find this information in one of two places (or perhaps even in both):

1. Right on the end of the lens barrel
2. On the front of the lens inside the filter ring area

In the photo below, you can see two different lenses: my Tamron 17-35mm and my Canon 85mm. On the Tamron, you should see “1:2.8-4,” and on the 85mm, you should see “1:1.8.”

What does this mean? It’s simple: the maximum aperture on the 85mm lens is f/1.8, and on the Tamron zoom, the maximum aperture changes from f/2.8 to f/4 as you zoom the lens. (At the lens’s widest, 17mm, I can open the aperture to f/2.8. But if I zoom all the way to 35mm, my maximum aperture becomes f/4.)

These variable maximum apertures are pretty common with kit lenses, and especially kit lenses with a large focal length range such as 28-300mm or 18-200mm.

Focusing range and distance scale

On some – but not all! – lenses, you will see a range of distances, usually marked in two scales, feet and meters. These lens numbers indicate the distance at which your lens is currently focused.

So at one end of the scale, you’ll find the infinity symbol, and at the other end, you’ll find the lens’s minimum focusing distance (i.e., the closest the lens can focus).

Check out the two lenses below. The distance scale on the 70-200mm (left) is under a cover, and you can see that the lens is focused somewhere between 10 meters and infinity. The distance scale on the 17-35mm (right) is on the lens’s focus ring, and you can see that the lens is focused quite close, at around 0.5 meters.

Note that, as you focus your lens, the distance scale will change to reflect your new point of focus.

Lens diameter (filter size)

Every lens has a diameter, the distance across the center of the lens. This diameter also corresponds to the filter size (if the filter’s diameter doesn’t match the lens diameter, it won’t properly screw onto the front of the lens).

You’ll find the lens diameter written on the end of your lens (often on the edge of the barrel), preceded by a symbol that looks like a zero with a strike through it:

So for the lens pictured above, the diameter is 77mm. And if I wanted to use a polarizing filter or a clear filter, I’d need to grab one with an equivalent diameter.

By the way, you can also find the lens diameter on the back of the lens cap, as displayed above.

Less common lens numbers (often seen on older, manual focus lenses)

Now that you’re familiar with all the common camera lens numbers, let’s take a look at some of the less common markings. These numbers are pretty rare on lenses designed for digital cameras, but you may come across them if you purchase older, manual focus glass.

Aperture ring

Most newer lenses set and control the aperture through the camera. But back in the days of film, you would set the shutter speed on your camera and the aperture on the lens (via an aperture ring).

So while newer lenses rarely include aperture rings, you’ll find them on plenty of older lenses. An aperture ring displays different aperture settings, like this:

And by rotating the ring, you widen or narrow the aperture.

Note that some modern lenses do include aperture rings; Fujifilm is known for this, as are other brands that offer manual focus lenses (e.g., Samyang).

Hyperfocal distance scale

A hyperfocal distance scale helps you determine the depth of field for a scene, given a particular focal length, point of focus, and aperture.

Most zoom lenses don’t offer hyperfocal distance scales (because depth of field varies with focal length). But if you have a prime lens – especially an older model – you may see an extra ring of numbers on the barrel, such as in the image below:

Note that, in the image, you can see three sets of numbers:

• the distance scale
• the hyperfocal distance scale
• the aperture ring that actually sets the lens aperture

And this is by design. The hyperfocal distance scale uses the distance scale to display the expected depth of field. Here’s how it works:

First, focus your lens and set your aperture. Then look at the hyperfocal distance scale and find your chosen aperture on either side of the red line. Finally, look at the focusing distances that correspond to the apertures – these will be your near and far depth of field limit.

Make sense?

Camera lens numbers: final words

Well, that’s it for lens numbers! Hopefully, you now feel much more confident (and much less confused) when looking at your lens.

And if there are any lens numbers I missed, don’t worry – just share pictures in the comments below, and I’ll see what I can do to help out!

The post What Do the Numbers on Your Camera Lens Mean? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.

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