Aperture Priority is a shooting mode on some digital cameras that lets you manually choose the aperture value. The aperture value determines how much light is let in through the lens, by widening or narrowing the hole through which light enters the camera. In Auto mode this setting is established automatically by the camera, but there are times when you may want to adjust it yourself.

The most common reason for shooting in Aperture Priority mode is to control the depth of field. This means that you have more control over whether things in the background appear clear or blurry. You may want to control this for various reasons.

Making the background appear blurry puts more emphasis on the object that’s in focus. This is sometimes used in portraits to make the person(s) in the photo stand out more. It is also used in macro photography (e.g. detailed photos of flowers, insects, or other objects close up). To achieve this effect, the camera needs a wide aperture, which means the setting should be on a smaller number, such as 1.4, 2, etc.

Making the background clearer is useful when you want the details of the landscape or environment to be seen. It can also be used in an artistic way, such as making running water look more blurred. For this, the camera needs a narrow aperture, which means the setting should be on a larger number, such as 8, 11, etc.

The aperture is not the only setting that affects how your pictures will come out, though; another important setting is the shutter speed. In Aperture Priority mode, your camera will automatically select a shutter speed that compliments the aperture value you have selected, relative to the conditions that the camera detects. In order to control both the aperture and the shutter speed, you will need to shoot in Manual or a preset custom mode.

Now that you’ve learned a little more about Aperture Priority, do some experimenting! Try taking pictures of the same subject using different aperture values, then compare them. Learning how to adjust these settings will help you get the most out of your digital camera!

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1. GIMP
The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is free, open-source software that many call “the free Photoshop,” and with good reason. GIMP comes with a long list of features, including a full suite of painting tools, layers and channels, support for custom brushes and patterns, editable text layers, a wide range of selection tools, advanced path tools, color management, and tons more. Basically, with GIMP you get pretty much everything you need for photo retouching, as well as for creating and/or manipulating a broad array of image types. The downside of GIMP, though, is that it has a bit of a learning curve. The user interface is not as friendly as commercial products like Photoshop, which can be a turnoff for some users. However, for those who are willing to take some time to learn, the GIMP webpage has tons of free tutorials to show you everything the program can be used for. GIMP is available for Windows, Mac, and Unix systems and can be found at Gimp.org.

2. Paint.NET
Paint.NET is another free, open-source program that has been compared to Photoshop. This program was originally developed by students at Washington State University, backed up by Microsoft. Paint.NET comes with support for layers, an unlimited undo feature, special effects tools, and various plugins for added support. It also boasts a more friendly user interface than some other free programs, plus there is a forum for users to exchange information, including helpful tutorials. Paint.NET is available for Windows and can be found at GetPaint.net.

3. Serif PhotoPlus
Serif PhotoPlus is a photo editing program with a unique distribution model: you can buy the latest version for $9.99 or get a previous version for free. The latest free version (PhotoPlus 6) includes some standard photo editing tools such as brightness and contrast adjustment, red-eye removal, hue, saturation, etc. It also boasts some more high-powered features such as layering effects, paint tools, text editing, and cropping and shaping. Serif PhotoPlus is available for Windows and can be found here.

4. Inkscape
Unlike the other programs featured here, Inkscape is a vector-based graphics editor; it was built more for graphic design than photo-retouching. It is comparable to Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw, and is useful for logos, images with text, illustrations, etc. Inkscape does not have all of the tools found in Illustrator and Draw, but it does provide a significant set of basic graphics tools. Inkscape is free and open-source, is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and can be found at Inkscape.org.

5. Pixia
Pixia is a free image manipulation program developed in Japan. It features both bitmap- and vector-based tools, allowing users to work with both photos and graphics. In addition to the usual editing tools, Pixia features layering, custom brush tips, and more. However, Pixia does not support saving in GIF format. Though capable of editing photos, the program is designed with creating art and graphics in mind. The website links to user-created tutorials, allowing new users to learn all that Pixia has to offer. Pixia is available for Windows and can be found here.

6. PhotoFiltre
PhotoFiltre is a free image retouching program developed in France. It includes layers, filters, vectoral selections, custom brushes, a PhotoMasque module, plugins, and more. It is designed specifically for enhancing and manipulating digital photographs. An RGB layers mixer, red-eye removal, white balance adjustment, animated GIF import, import/export tools, and more are available as plugins. PhotoFiltre is free for private, non-commercial, or educational use (commercial use requires registration and is priced starting at €20). There are forums (in various languages, including French and English) for users to ask questions, find tutorials, and get support. PhotoFiltre is available for Windows and can be run on some Linux systems with Wine (Windows emulator). It can be found here.