Which aspect of photographic composition does the F-stop NOT control?

The F-stop primarily affects the aperture of the camera lens, which plays a crucial role in determining the amount of light that enters the camera. It is responsible for controlling exposure, light intensity, and the depth of field, which relates to sharpness and blur of the background.

When discussing exposure, the F-stop plays a key role; a higher F-stop value results in a smaller aperture, allowing less light in, while a lower F-stop value opens the aperture wider, allowing more light to enter. This directly impacts the overall exposure of the photograph.

Additionally, the light intensity that reaches the sensor is controlled through the F-stop since it dictates how wide or narrow the aperture is. A wider aperture (lower F-stop number) allows more light to hit the sensor, while a narrower aperture (higher F-stop number) restricts light.

Regarding sharpness in the background, F-stop also influences depth of field. A lower F-stop value creates a shallow depth of field, blurring the background and isolating the subject, while a higher F-stop value increases depth of field, making more of the background sharp.

In contrast, the focal length of the lens is determined by the physical construction of the lens and is not influenced by the F-stop.