How do I keep a close group of people at different distances all in focus?
Asked 10/4/2017
2 views
2 answers
0
I was photographing a loosely arranged group portrait with people standing at different distances from the camera, fairly close to me, using a Nikon D750. Even when I stopped down to around f/18, I still couldn’t get everyone sharp at once. If I focused on the nearer people, those farther back went soft, and if I focused farther back, the nearer people went soft. Is this mainly a depth-of-field issue from shooting too close, or could autofocus mode be the problem? What’s the best way to compose and focus for a group shot like this so everyone is in focus?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
5
It sounds like depth of field. If (with an APS crop sensor, 30 mm lens, f/4), if you focus at say 6 feet you might have about 2 feet of DOF span, like from 5 feet to 7 feet (coarse approximations). If your subject is distributed at say 6 to 8 feet, this 5-7 DOF zone does not include the far ones. If you focus far, you miss the near ones. Which is your description.
If you focus on the near ones, or on the far ones, you have wasted half of your DOF range in empty space where there is no one. There are DOF calculators which compute these numbers.
Normal procedure would be to focus more near the middle depth of the group (or slightly in front of the middle), to put the zone more centered on your group. So yes, you do chose your point of focus too.
And of course, stopping down the f/stop, like from f/4 to f/8 or f/11, could greatly increase the span of DOF, so that the zone size is double or more.
DOF is rather vague, and is NOT a critically precise number. If the calculator say DOF is 5 to 7 feet, then 7.02 feet is no different than 6.98 feet, both are at the limit of acceptability. These 5 to 7 feet numbers are considered the extremes of acceptability, and the actual focused distance will of course always be the sharpest point.
Originally by user38978. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38978
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is mainly a depth-of-field issue, not AF-S vs. AF-A.
When people in the group are at different distances, depth of field may not cover the whole group—especially if you’re shooting close. Stopping down helps, but distance usually makes a bigger difference: taking a few steps back greatly increases depth of field, often more than going from, say, f/8 to f/16.
For group shots, try to:
- step back and use a wider framing if possible
- focus around the middle of the group’s depth, or slightly in front of center
- stop down to a moderate aperture as needed
- keep the group arranged more on the same plane when possible
Also, on a DSLR the viewfinder usually stays bright with the lens wide open until the shot is taken, so what you see while composing may not reflect the final depth of field. Use the camera’s depth-of-field preview button if you want to check it before shooting.
A depth-of-field calculator can help you see how much subject distance, focal length, and aperture affect what stays sharp.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI8y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How do I focus on a person in the background when there are subjects in the foreground?
Can hyperfocal distance help keep a group at different distances in focus?
How aperture affects depth of field for groups, portraits, and subjects at different distances
Does depth of field change with camera-to-subject distance at the same aperture?
How can I light a group more evenly with flash when people are at different distances?