How is Aperture related to Shutter speed?

As we read in our earlier posts about aperture and shutter speed, that aperture controls the amount of light that enters the camera lens and reaches the camera's image sensors.  Any changes in aperture has an effect over the exposure of an image. Shutter speed on the other hand too has an effect on the image exposure. Shutter speed is  the amount of time the sensor is exposed to light. Or in simple words, it is the amount of time that the shutter is open.

The aperture also help you decide the depth-of-field. Depth of field refers to the range of distance that appears acceptably sharp. A wide aperture is used when the depth of field is shallow and a narrow aperture is used when the depth-of-field is fully exposed.

If you want to capture a small depth of field and have chosen an aperture of f3.5(wide aperture = more light entering the camera) then your shutter speed should be relatively fast. Ensuring that it is not open for a long time. In case you shoot in slow shutter speed, your pictures will be overexposed.

Photographers use a fast shutter speed (such as 1/1000 sec) to freeze action or to capture movement. Whereas, a long shutter speed (such as 30 seconds) allows a photographer to capture images in the night without any artificial light. In a long exposure (slow shutter speed) setting, you camera lens is open for a longer period of time. During this time sufficient amount of light enters your camera lens. Adjust your shutter speed depending on the depth of field that you with to cover.