The fundamental concept of the aperture is that it refers to the aperture in a camera's lens that allows light to enter. The aperture is similar to the human eye. You can change the size of the opening on the lens by either making it bigger to let in more light or smaller to let in less light. This size is usually quantified in terms of 'f-stops' such as f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, and so on. The smaller the f-stop number, the larger the aperture opening, and vice versa.

Wide open aperture example: 50mm f2.9 from E.Ludwig Meritar (vintage lens)
Shot with Sigma 35mm F8.0. A smaller aperture is useful for capturing thunderstorms.
Super smooth DOF aperture example: Samyang XP 85mm wide open at F1.2

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