I have been asked to take pictures for my little cousin's prom. I am a little nervous because I have a hard time with group pictures.
Besides automatic setting (which I plan to take some pictures in to be safe), what aperture is best for a group photo to still get the blurry background? I use F1.8 a lot when I take pictures of my kids...but I know the depth of focus is limited.
I have a Nikon D90. Can I adjust the setting to pick multiple points of focus?
I certainly wouldn't use 1.8 unless you have to due to lighting. Most lenses are sharpest a stop down or two past wide open. Also, it depends on how big the group is. Is it just going to be a handful of people all about the same distance away, or are you talking a massive group 4 rows deep? It will also depend on not only what focal length, but your distance from the subjects and how far the subjects are from the background that will affect the bokeh.
As you can see, there is no magic setting. It's going to depend a lot on your lighting conditions, size of the group, lens choice, and all of that. That being said, your best bet will probably be starting around f/4 (if you're using a 1.8 lens) to get a sharp image that will yield enough DOF to keep a larger group in focus while still keeping the background out of focus. But from there you'll really have to see what works best for your particular setting.
I am assuming at 1.8 you are using a 50mm lens... which I would not use for group photos...
I have a rect lin (makes sq photos) 12-24 that I would use... likely around f/12-f/16
I think min you are looking at would be a 20mm lens... but depends on the size of the group...
Balanced lighting will be key... at least two lights for any group bigger than 3...
and be in charge... make sure they are all standing where you want them to be...
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As you can see, there is no magic setting. It's going to depend a lot on your lighting conditions, size of the group, lens choice, and all of that. That being said, your best bet will probably be starting around f/4 (if you're using a 1.8 lens) to get a sharp image that will yield enough DOF to keep a larger group in focus while still keeping the background out of focus. But from there you'll really have to see what works best for your particular setting.
I have a rect lin (makes sq photos) 12-24 that I would use... likely around f/12-f/16
I think min you are looking at would be a 20mm lens... but depends on the size of the group...
Balanced lighting will be key... at least two lights for any group bigger than 3...
and be in charge... make sure they are all standing where you want them to be...