Question about focusing for portraits for 2+ people

aliciaqw · Mar 28, 2010

When taking a portrait of more than one person, where should my focus be? I want some decent bokeh so I'm going to shoot around 2.8 or so with a fast shutter. Just not sure where I should place focus though,

Thanks for your help!

rallysman · Mar 28, 2010

I think it depends on what the subject is, where it's placed, and how it's lit. Every shot is unique, I don't think anything other than experience will give you a solid answer. I'm no pro by any stretch of the imagination, but even a pro can't tell how the image looks in your head.

aliciaqw · Mar 28, 2010

Well, say I'm taking a picture of a brother and sister at the park, in the shade, and I want both of their faces in focus.

c.cloudwalker · Mar 28, 2010

For a standard type portrait, they both need to be in focus. But the fact of having two people doesn't mean much. They could both be the same distance from your camera and then you have no problem. If they are not, you need you need to adjust your settings as needed. It may not give you quite the bokeh you want but, as often in life, you have to compromise.

If it is not a standard type portrait, your creativity is the only limit on how to do this.

I realize this is probably not what you want to hear but there is no real way to answer this question. Sorry.

maris · Mar 28, 2010

The plane of focus should go through the eyes. If your subjects are different distances from the camera then you need an oblique plane of focus. That's what tilt lenses or view camera movements can achieve.

KmH · Mar 28, 2010

aliciaqw said:
When taking a portrait of more than one person, where should my focus be? I want some decent bokeh so I'm going to shoot around 2.8 or so with a fast shutter. Just not sure where I should place focus though,

Thanks for your help!

I think you're using the term bokeh here, when you really mean depth-of-field. They aren't the same thing.

Everyone else has covered all the other bases.