Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

What results from using a larger aperture with a neutral density filter?

1. Greater depth of field.

2. Increased sharpness.

3. Less light entering the lens.

4. Decreased depth of field.

The correct answer is: Decreased depth of field.

Using a larger aperture with a neutral density filter results in decreased depth of field. A larger aperture (represented by a smaller f-stop number) allows more light to hit the sensor and creates a shallow depth of field, which is ideal for isolating subjects from their background. This effect blurs the background and foreground relative to the subject, providing a professional look often sought in portrait and detail photography. Incorporating a neutral density filter allows the photographer to use this wide aperture in very bright lighting conditions without overexposing the image. The neutral density filter reduces the overall amount of light entering the lens while maintaining the desired aperture setting, thus enabling the photographer to create a shallow depth of field even in conditions where it would otherwise be too bright. The context of using a larger aperture with a neutral density filter is crucial because it allows creative control over exposure and depth of field, which are fundamental aspects of visual storytelling in photography.