Beecher's Handouts >

Language of Stop >

Here's an example of the Stop with a photograph.

Let's say this picture was taken at f/8.

To vary the exposure. we'll be changing the lens opening.

The shutter speed will remain constant at 1/250th.

pic here

f/8

The exposure on the next photograph was changed by one stop: f/8 to f/5.6.

The amount of light has doubled.

The photograph is brighter—by one stop.

pic here

f/5.6

Here's the first photograph again, taken at f/8.

pic here

f/8

The exposure on the next photograph was also changed by one stop: f/8 to f/11.

The amount of light was halved.

The photograph is darker—by one stop.

pic here

f/11

Now let's look at how Stop is "spoken" by three countries on your camera.