Group Shots

[pgal]

I am going to be taking a family's portrait on Saturday and just wanted to get some input on how some of you get everyone in the shot to be clear and sharp. I usually use a higher f stop and use all 7 af points. However ,when i do that it seems like i usually get a kid's waving arm in focus and faces are blurred. any suggestions??

 

[Village Idiot]

I am going to be taking a family's portrait on Saturday and just wanted to get some input on how some of you get everyone in the shot to be clear and sharp. I usually use a higher f stop and use all 7 af points. However ,when i do that it seems like i usually get a kid's waving arm in focus and faces are blurred. any suggestions??

f/11? step back and have them close together

 

[christopher walrath]

Also, if there are a lot of family members and thus a long line of people, curve the line a bit so that the people on the ends are the same distance from the camera as they are in the middle of the group. And keep the depth of faces as shallow as possible. Keep the people in the back as close to the people in the front as possible.

 

[Helen B]

Also, if there are a lot of family members and thus a long line of people, curve the line a bit so that the people on the ends are the same distance from the camera as they are in the middle of the group.

Isn't that more likely to create depth of field problems rather than solve them?

Best,
Helen

 

[JerryPH]

Isn't that more likely to create depth of field problems rather than solve them?

Best,
Helen

It sure will, unless he uses a smaller aperture. I'd rather have a couple of rows deep, rather than one wide line... unless he wants a panorama effect?

 

[christopher walrath]

Just my thinking. If the people on the ends are, say, 20 feet away from the camera and the people in the center are, say, 20 feet from the camera (which would form a slightly curved line) would you have everybody in focus if you focused to, say, 20 feet?

 

[Helen B]

Chris,

Most of the lenses we use are designed as flat field lenses, not curved field lenses. This means that if you point your camera at a flat wall, with the film/sensor plane parallel to the wall, then focus on the wall in the centre of the frame the corners of the frame should be in the plane of focus. If the closest part of the wall is 20 ft away, and the lens is focused to 20 ft, the wall in the corners of the frame will be more than 20 ft away, but still in the plane of focus.

Best,
Helen

 

[pgal]

Thanks everyone for your help. It is really appreciated!