best lens for group portraits?

[momtoamiracle]

my family will be soon getting together for my parent's 50th ann.

I'd like to know what lens would be best for a family group shot. There are about 17 of us.




thanks in advance.

[natek313]

Are you wanting to do one big group shot? If so, your 18-55mm is more than capable, I would think.

[momtoamiracle]

yes, I'll probably have a friend use my equipment to take it.


We took some with my kit lens last summer but it was less than stellar.

However it could possibly have been because the lighting was poor, and I didn't have my external flash yet so it was just on camera flash. And from my reading, the aperture was probably too wide, so the people on the edges were out of focus.


I wasn't sure the kit lens was good enough.

[natek313]

Yeah, taking a photograph of 17 people in the frame isn't easy. You'll probably want to use a tripod, and using the flash is up to you and whether you need it in the natural light.

If you don't use a flash, the tricky part is going to be figuring out the largest aperture you can use to get everyone in focus while still getting a reasonable shutter speed. You'll probably want to shoot at ISO 400 to help speed up the shutter while still using an aperture of f/5.6 depending on how far the camera is from the group. (Remember, the closer the camera is to the subject, the smaller the depth of field is for a constant aperture.)

[momtoamiracle]

thanks so much!

yes, I will be using a tripod this time too. (I'm slowly collecting my camera equipment.

I"m not sure where we will be taking the picture. Last year it was in the shade and on the porch, where a flash was necessary for sharp focus. The ones that the flash didn't fire weren't sharp.



I think I may do some practicing.

thanks again for the tips!

[Benji]

One problem with using a wide angle lens in group portraiture is distortion. The people closest to the lens will have considerably larger faces than those in the back row(s). A mid-telephoto lens (100mm or so) is usually the best choice to minimize distortion. Another problem with using a wide angle lens in group portraiture is barrel distortion, Barrel distortion is where the extreme edges of the image tend to be OOF but the center is still in focus.

Lighting is EXTREMELY important in photography. In fact the very word "photography" means "light writing" or "light drawing."

DOF is of course also important. All faces in every row must be in focus and the shutter speed must be fast enough to freeze any movement a child may do when the shutter is open.

Then there is posing. Rule # 1 in posing a large group, pose any and all overweight women in the back. Overweight men don't seem to care if you can see their bulk (some even like and brag about their "beer bellies") but not women, and the woman is the one holding the checkbook or credit card. Make her happy and everyone will be happy.

Benji