How can I keep two people sitting across a table both in focus while blurring the background?
Asked 12/3/2017
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I’m photographing two people seated across from each other at a table about 2 feet long. They’ll be positioned at roughly the same distance from the camera, and I want both subjects sharp while still keeping the background isolated. I’m shooting with a 35mm f/1.4 lens. Do I need to stop down to something like f/8–f/11, or is there a better approach?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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They’ll be at the same distance from the camera...
If they're the same distance from the camera focusing on either one will bring both into focus.
That is, unless you are using a tilt/shift lens or other camera/lens where the optical axis is not perpendicular to the camera's imaging plane.
There are also some esoteric lenses with what is known as field curvature where if both subjects are at equal distance from the camera but one is in the center of the frame and the other one is on the edge of the frame one might be slightly more focused than the other. But even with one of these such lenses, if both subjects are the same distance from the camera and both subjects are the same distance from the center in your framing, they should both be equally in focus.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
8y ago
0
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If both people are truly at the same distance from the camera, focusing on either one should place both on the same plane of focus, so both can be sharp.
You don’t automatically need to stop down to f/8–f/11 just because there are two subjects. Aperture still controls how much depth of field you have, but the key point is that subjects at the same camera-to-subject distance will be equally in focus.
Possible exceptions are unusual cases such as tilt/shift movements or lenses with noticeable field curvature, where edge and center sharpness can differ slightly. In normal shooting with a standard 35mm lens, this usually isn’t a major issue.
So the practical approach is:
- position both subjects so they’re equally distant from the camera
- focus on either subject
- choose your aperture based on how much background blur you want versus how much margin of sharpness you need
If you want extra safety for slight movement or imperfect positioning, stopping down a bit can help, but it’s not required just because there are two people.
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