A Question Of Focus

[Mingmoos]

Hope someone can give me a few pointers on the subject of focus. When photographing a group of people, say at a wedding and they are standing in a row. Is it better to use a 'wide' focus setting or, on the other hand, to use a 'center' focus setting? As I see it, using the 'wide' focus setting, unless everybody is standing exactly in line, achieving perfect focus of everyone is impossible. On the other hand using a 'center' focus setting will achieve perfect focus, but on only one person. Looking forward to receiving thoughts on the matter and thank you in advance.

[Manfred M]

There is only one focus plane in the image, so I will ensure that for group images, I select the focus point by using my camera set to use a single focus point. Depending on the focal length I am shooting at, I will figure out where I want that to be. If you look at the charts here at CiC, it gives you some pretty good guidance as to how the depth of field falls:

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tu...h-of-field.htm

I will use a "focus and reframe", with a method called "back button focus", where I have disengaged the autofocus from the shutter release. That way my focus point is exactly where I want it and lock it in before taking the shot. I will also shoot with a narrow aperture (f/8 or more likely f/11) to maximize depth of field.

[Mingmoos]

Thanks for the link Manfred, I have just spent some time reading it, Looks like depth-of-field is something that plays a big part in resolving the issues I have been chewing on. By the way I have a daughter who lives in Ottawa !! Thanks again.

[William W]

I don't understand what is meant by the terms 'wide' and 'center' focus settings.

In any case, Manfred has directed you to research DoF and it seems understanding DoF will address many of your questions.

As a general comment - I suggest that you do not pose them 'in a row' - that arrangement is boring: arrangements resembling an horseshoe or a phalanx are both much better. In these cases, an adequate DoF is mandatory.

WW

[rpcrowe]

When shooting a group shot - arranging the subjects in a row or line is not the best way to pose them...

Depending on the numbers and types of people in a group, there are many other ways to arrange them...

When, I say "types" of people, I am talking about the formality of the group portrait.

While shooting a basketball or football team, you can reduce the width of the group by having some of the members kneel in the front row. Of course this would be totally inappropriate if shooting a group of judges or members of the clergy,

A great aid to group shots is a set of stairs like in the front of a public building or a church. You can arrange the people on several levels. Compound this by shooting from an elevated position such as a ladder will reduce the DOF needed for the group to be in focus.

As mentioned, arranging your group in a slight concave live rather than in a straight line will also assist in group portraits.

When you are arranging a group having the center person stand straight on to the camera with the people on either side standing at approximately a 45 degree angle with persons to the camera left and right facing towards the center person will reduce the width of a group.

Reducing the width and/or depth of a group will help your focus.

I am assuming that you are shooting with a Sony mirrorless camera since wide and center focus are terms that Sony uses. The Wide Area simply surveys the entire frame for the subject - it doesn't give a wider DOF. I would use either Center focus or touch focus with a Sony camera in shooting a group.

Whatever your focus type, the camera will focus on one spot. Shooting with a wider angle lens (not so wide as to induce distortion) and shooting with a small aperture such as f/11 will provide the greatest DOF.

The plane of focus is a single plane... If your group is deep, shooting from a elevated position will allow you include the faces of more people in a smaller plane of focus.

The use of a concave line will also allow for less distortion a the sides of the line of people when using a wide focal length.

[dem]

The plane of focus is not quite a plane for any real lens, though modern lenses, especially macro lenses, come very close.

In the days when people had to sit down to have their photograph taken and lenses did not have many elements, photographers knew what size semicircle to arrange people in so everyone was in focus.

In the modern world, just shoot in A or M mode and increase the f-number setting so everyone is in focus. Can always take a test shot and check for sharpness. F/8 on an APS-C sensor is pretty safe.