Focusing on People Sitting Side-by-Side

[PhotoJunkieJen]

This may seem a newbie question, but I'm wondering... when two people are sitting side-by-side, where do you lock in your focus?

I know you're always supposed to focus on the eyes, but if you focus on one person's eyes, the other person's face will be slightly out of focus. (Took some pictures this weekend and there was, in my opinion, a noticable drop off in clarity). If I focus on where the shoulders touch, both faces are acceptible, but not extremely clear.

Ideas?

[amberskies]

If you decrease your aperture you'll have better depth of field so more of the photo will be clear, right?

[wulf]

Yes - depth of field is the critical element and that depends on the aperture of your lens and the distance from your subjects. Have you read any of the (numerous) threads on this subject across the site?

Wulf

[Benji]

Shooting every lens at its maximum aperture seems to be all the rage right now for some reason. "Lots of bokeh" is the mantra of the new age of digital imaging. For me I will take f/8 any day. At f/8 I never have to worry whether the eys of the other subjects that I didn't focus on will be sharp. They always are. If I ever have a client that says I have "too much background" in focus I can blur it in Photoshop but I have yet to have one ever complain.

Benji

[teaking]

The only thing I would add is to focus on the closet poerson's eyes as a general rule its 1/3rds in front and 2/3rds behind the focus point, so theres more in focus behind your focus point.

[GathCity]

I started a thread last week, or so where I asked "Group Portraits, Where to Focus". Check it out. It's a few threads under yours. I got some very helpful feedback.

One of the biggest helps was this website for Depth of Field:

Online Depth of Field Calculator

Very Cool!

[EmmaR]

Interesting responses... I have the same question. My thoughts were that depth of field works from front to back, not for side to side?

I have my AF point set for single, and move it around as needed. So the same question goes for where do you actually put the focus point?

[Sterling]

Originally Posted by EmmaR

Interesting responses... I have the same question. My thoughts were that depth of field works from front to back, not for side to side?

I have my AF point set for single, and move it around as needed. So the same question goes for where do you actually put the focus point?

You were right in your thoughts. The issue is that when people are sitting side by side their eyes are often not on the exact same focal plane.

I believe the correct answer has come from teaking who said to focus on the closest eyes and from benji who said to use a small enough aperture so the depth of field will be deep enough so that both sets of eyes will be in focus.

[PhotoJunkieJen]

Thanks for everyone's responses!!

I do understand basic aperture... Unfortunately, in that particular instance, I found that I couldn't stop any more or the shutter would be too slow. Kind of a catch 22 situation. But I do generally try to keep it around f/8 so that all things are more in focus.

[PhotoJunkieJen]

Originally Posted by Sterling

You were right in your thoughts. The issue is that when people are sitting side by side their eyes are often not on the exact same focal plane.

I believe the correct answer has come from teaking who said to focus on the closest eyes and from benji who said to use a small enough aperture so the depth of field will be deep enough so that both sets of eyes will be in focus.

This = awesome! Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!