Going for A Ride

I took this picture not too long ago for an assignment in the Photography 101 course I am currently enrolled in this semester. The project was for depth of field. We had to take a picture with vast depth of field and one portraying shallow depth of field.
This picture shows shallow depth of field. It is considered shallow because the background behind the focused subject is out of focus. This is created by using a smaller f-stop (f/4 - f/1.8).

Explaining how the aperture works can be tricky. The smaller an f-stop number is, the larger the opening in the lens is. This means that more light is let into the lens, allowing only the subject within the focal plane to be in focus. This means that smaller f-stops portray shallow depth of field and larger f-stops create vast depth of field. As the number gets larger, more of the photo is in focus. Using shallow depth of field can really emphasize the main point of a photo and intricate details the eye might miss by guiding the viewers eye to the focused subject. Like in this picture, the eye is drawn towards the basket because of the detailed pattern it places in the photo. My eye is then drawn to the rest of the bike and the tires tread, and then finally I look at the background.

Here is a picture of the aperture openings along with the f-stops for a better understanding: 

Image found on Google

Aperture is really important to consider when a photographer is planning their composition. They have to decide what they want in focus and out of focus in the photograph. The subject is a big factor in determining this as well. My subject for this picture is the bike; I changed the angle of the bike handles just to try making it a little more interesting. My professor complimented me on my composition for this picture and said it was "spot-on"; many fellow students were also very interested in it during critique. I am pleased with how it came out over all.