A photographing apparatus, comprising: an imaging optical system; an image sensor which receives a light flux passing through the imaging optical system, captures an image, and outputs an imaging signal; an aperture which is included in the imaging optical system and which includes an opening to restrict the light flux; a controller which performs a first exposure control to control the exposure of the image sensor by changing the opening of the aperture and calculates, based on an imaging signal output by the image sensor, a deviation between an optimal exposure amount and a currently set actual exposure amount; and an imaging control circuit which performs a second exposure control to control the exposure of the image sensor without changing the opening of the aperture, wherein the controller selects either the first exposure control or the second exposure control based on the deviation to control exposure.