Aperture × Focal Length Heatmap
of Photographic Genres

by Pasha on 3/25/2024

In photography, we often adjust settings like aperture and focal length to get the perfect shot? Well, imagine if we could see which combinations of these settings are the most popular among photographers. That's exactly what the tables below shows.

We can easily see which aperture (how much light enters the camera) and focal length (how zoomed in the picture is) photographers like to use. Settings vary a lot depending on the genre -- the kind of photos they take. Having a sense of what's popular in a genre might inspire us to try out new settings in our own photography adventures!

All Genres Combined Portfolio 392

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4 2452   
26181612   
2.85121124366  
4411111620531
5.615817249115
8 48514152
11194610 11
16 2 42   
2213 23   

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

 

On the horizontal axis, we have the focal lengths, which determine how zoomed in or out our photo looks. They increase from the left to the right. And on the vertical axis, we have the different apertures (like f/1.4, f/2.8, and so on), which control how much light comes into the camera and also affect how much of the scene is in focus.

Each cell represents the number of photos using a combination of these settings, like 50mm and f/2.8. The darker the color in the cell, the more often photographers use that specific combination.

Portrait Photography Portfolio 60

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Landscape Photography Portfolio 28

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Architectural Photography Portfolio 28

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Street Photography Portfolio 30

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Fashion Photography Portfolio 29

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Wildlife Photography Portfolio 29

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Dance Photography Portfolio 27

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Food Photography Portfolio 29

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Pet Photography Portfolio 28

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Macro Photography Portfolio 27

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Astrophotography Portfolio 22

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Fine Art Photography Portfolio 27

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Sports Photography Portfolio 28

f(mm)
F/#
14243550100200400500
1.4
2
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22

Legend: f(mm) - focal length in mm (columns), F/# - aperture in F-stops (rows)

Thank you for reading to the end! In our upcoming articles, we plan to delve deeper into additional research to help you take those great photos. Stay tuned for more insights!

Note: Please be aware that the analysis presented in this article is based solely on the photos I've chosen. Although I aimed to provide a balanced selection across various photographic genres, the grouping of aperture and focal length settings discussed may differ with another set of photos.