amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

The length of the exposure will have no bearing on color saturation, so long as the image isn't under- or overexposed.

The size of the aperture also will have minimal effect. The quality of the optics and capabilities of the sensor, plus any filter you might use. For example, often Circular Polarizer (C-Pol) will help cut reflections off leaves, water, etc., and thus saturate colors better. For example, both these were shot using a quality C-Pol...


LH image was done w/Canon EF 24-70/2.8 at f8 on a full frame sensor camera. RH shot made with Canon EF 20mm f2.8 lens at f5.6 on an APS-C crop sensor camera.

In fact, you have to be careful not to use too small an aperture. At some point, as smaller and smaller apertures are used, diffraction begins to occur and robs fine detail from images. At really small apertures it greatly reduces fine detail and makes images look sort of "plasticky". With an 18MP, APS-C-size sensor camera, using an 8x10 print as the reference output size, diffraction effects begin to occur at f7.1, starts to become apparent at higher magnifications at f11, and can be seen with the bare eye at f16 and especially f22. On a full frame, 21MP camera, because less enlargement is needed for the same 8x10 reference print, diffraction effects begin at f10, becomes really problematic at f22 and even more so at any smaller apertures.

One thing you can do that will help maximize color saturation in images is set a Custom White balance, especially if shooting JPEGs. (If shooting RAW you have much more flexibility to change color balance in post-processing, compared to shooting JPEGs straight from the camera.)

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

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An easier setting of small apertures would be f/64 (as on my 5x4 panel lenses). What about the'f/64 Club'??. Everything was shot at f/64. (because the lenses were capable, and designed to be used with small apertures, as well as full bore.)

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

F64 was the diffraction limit on 4x5 and larger film cameras. When coupled with front standard swings your depth of field could start a foot away and could extend to the moon. :)

tradergeorge Loc: Newport, Kentucky

The only thing I can think of that he may be referring to is the fact that smaller apertures use a better optical section of a given lens. And even at that, I am not sure what it would have to do with "better colors". Either you are after accurate colors, or you are not. There are any number of schemes to get higher saturation or to change a given tint, but I don't remember any of them calling for a smaller aperture.

For a given lens, a smaller aperture will result in more DOF. The easier focusing that is a byproduct of that may be interpreted as "better color"....

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

:thumbup: Agree completely.

Guillermo

Let there be Light!

twowindsbear

Why are you even considering photography advice from THE WEATHER CHANEL???

How much faith would you put in a weather forcast from The Photography Chanel?

Now, had you said that you 'read it on the 'net' then that would be another matter all together because we all KNOW that the internet is totally & completetly TRUE.

tradergeorge Loc: Newport, Kentucky

To be completely fair, just because he got advice from a weatherman does not automatically make the advice wrong. Just like getting advice from the internet does not automatically render it suspect. Conversely, even in a forum that is specifically about photography, we have all seen some horrendous information put out with a straight face...The truth is that sometimes people are proficient in more than one area. I would bet than many of the "smart" people who post here make their primary income in areas other than photography. I know I did (and do). However, I like to think the advice I dispense is usually sound and well thought out. You just need to evaluate information based on what you already know, have gotten from other sources and the reputation of the individual (not necessarily their occupation)...

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I am not sure the OP said the weatherman said this - I think he said there was a photographer on the show.

tradergeorge Loc: Newport, Kentucky

I didn't notice that one way or the other. I was just making clear the logical fallacy of judging information SOLELY based on its source. Very often, we discount what is probably factual information because it comes from an unrelated source. Sometimes this is valid, but only if we have reason to suspect the source, not as an automatic "knee-jerk"...Cheers!

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

Digital sensors don't respond to aperture size or shutter speed like film did concerning color. They're digital and do one thing the same way every time whether its fast shutter, slow shutter, wide aperture, tight aperture, low ISO, or high ISO - it captures the amount of light required to give a proper exposure.

Go into your menu system and choose "Vivid" if you want to enhance color capture during JPG shooting. Then if it's too much reduce it in post editing. Or... leave it alone and push saturation in post editing.