The aperture is a mechanism inside the lens that consists of movable metal parts called blades. These blades can open and close, creating an aperture of varying sizes and thus regulating the amount of light that reaches the camera’s sensor. The number of aperture blades determines the shape of this aperture, especially when the aperture is closed down. A smaller number of blades, such as five or six, creates a polygonal aperture. A larger number of blades, such as nine or more, results in a shape closer to a circle. The shape of the aperture opening directly affects the appearance of the out-of-focus areas of the image, a phenomenon known as “bokeh.” This refers to the aesthetic quality of the background blur. Out-of-focus light sources in the background will thus take on a polygonal shape or, conversely, a circular shape, depending on the number and shape of the aperture blades.