Better group portrait lens.
John Howard wrote:
I have been asked to shoot a portrait is a group of 10 women in a house with limited distance due to room size. I estimate that I will need at least a 50mm wide lens. I have a 24-70 and a 24-120, both Nikon. Figure the speed of 2.8 is not needed because I will need some DoF for the group. Have some natural light thru some windows. Might bounce some remote flash (I only have one). Any recommendations as to the better of the two lenses (or just use a 50mm). I know just enough to stand/sit the group in an arch to manage the distance and focus.
I have been asked to shoot a portrait is a group o... (
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I would shoot from a higher viewpoint - a small ladder - and hopefully bounce a flash off the white ceiling. Have everyone looking up towards you ( and the ceiling) with chins up for nice even lighting and catchlights. Tilting the camera in a downward angle extends your DOF across the faces. Try to keep the focal length 35-50mm and at least f5.6. You definitely want to use a zoom here ! - the 24-70 is sharper.
If I were in your position the 24-70 would be the lens I would use and most probably at 35mm focal length. As has been said you can use the flash with a diffuser or bounce it from a white wall for fill in.
Lots of free photo calculators online. You can determine your field of view at any subject distance and lens-sensor combination. I compute at 24" and hold my thumbs out to span that field of view result to get an approximation.
imagemeister wrote:
I would shoot from a higher viewpoint - a small ladder - and hopefully bounce a flash off the white ceiling. Have everyone looking up towards you ( and the ceiling) with chins up for nice even lighting and catchlights. Tilting the camera in a downward angle extends your DOF across the faces. Try to keep the focal length 35-50mm and at least f5.6. You definitely want to use a zoom here ! - the 24-70 is sharper.
There you go.
Other questions. What is the layout of the room? Is there an available staircase (for you or for the women)? Is there a hallway leading into a room that could give you more distance? Is there a reason they want the shot indoors instead of outside?
Be careful about putting people in an arch. It can make the people in the middle look much smaller than the people on the ends. Not a good thing, especially if the people in the middle are the main focus as in the bride and groom in a wedding party.
You might want to take a ladder or something so you can elevate yourself. This gives you a little more distance and eliminates the double chin effect. Just don’t get too high (unless you’re going for that effect).
Hard to guess at what "limited distance" is. My first choice would be the 50mm on a FF mounted on a tripod using off camera flash, probably in manual mode. Check out Neil Van Niekirks "Tangents" website for some great tips using on camera flash if that works best for you. Good luck.
Rongnongno wrote:
I am not sure where you had the idea that he is using a DX camera with FX lenses...
Around here, you cannot assume anything. The OP did not specifiy, so I addressed both. And, my post was about focal length for Dx vs Fx, not using Fx lenses on a Dx body.
cjc2
Loc: Hellertown PA
papa wrote:
I'm clueless like you.
Thanks for letting us know!
cjc2
Loc: Hellertown PA
I would use the 24-70 for that work, of your choices. Best of luck.
I would use the 24-70 and probably shoot neat the 24 end. To minimize the distortion I tend to shoot loose and crop in post production. By shoot loose I mean give plenty of room on the edges, all that extra space is easily cropped.
A10
Loc: Southern Indiana
Remember the tripod and "drag" the shutter to incorporate as much natural light as possible. This will help with your DoF by allowing you to shoot F8 or F11 at 1/8 sec. or so.
TriX
Loc: Raleigh, NC
A10 wrote:
Remember the tripod and "drag" the shutter to incorporate as much natural light as possible. This will help with your DoF by allowing you to shoot F8 or F11 at 1/8 sec. or so.
No way I’d shoot a group of people (unless they were embalmed) at 1/8 second, even with a flash providing some of the light, and especially with a non-stabilized lens like the 24-70. If the shutter is slow enough so that the ambient light contributes significantly to the exposure, then it will be enough light to illuminate movement of the subjects (which is almost certain with a group) or the lens. The tripod would help with camera movement provided you use mirror lock up and a remote release, but what about the guy in the group that moves during the exposure?
24-70 and a 24-120
Assuming you have a full frame camera either lens will work fine.......I am curious .......Why do you have both of these lenses?
As for setting up 10 people inside:
Think 35mm focal length as a place to start on either lens.......try to keep it at 35, tweak as needed......move yourself before shooting wider.
I didn't read the thread just the OP .....How did I do?
I assume your keeping it simple and bouncing a flash against the ceiling?
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