p.1 #1 · My first 2.8 - worried about depth of field
I'll be shooting a Mitzvah for an entertainment company on Saturday, this is something I have been doing to learn event photography while I work on equipment and technique. I recently got a 17-55, a big upgrade from my 28-135. I have been practacing with it alot but am still concerned about depth of field errors during the gig. If I taking a shot where there is a single subject I'm fine at 2.8. If I have 2 people, heads together in the same plane posing and i'm not zoomed all the way 2.8 or 3.2 DOF will be ok. Because I'm working for the entertainment company I'm shooting mainly for action on the dance floor. 2.8 is going to be scary in these situations and the screen on my XT does not show subltle OOF very well. I know this will not be any issue if I'm slightly OOF but I like to pretend that it does so does anybody have general rules or tips they follow to avoid OOF due to being too open? It seems complicated to really know your lens at different f-stops because DOF changes with focal length also. Should I be stopping down to settings like 5 and 5.6 which is what i had when I was using a 28-135? .
p.1 #2 · My first 2.8 - worried about depth of field
... 2.8 on a crop ain't shallow! Try shooting at 1.2 on FF
All kidding aside, you need to make DOF judgments. Just because you have a 2.8 lens doesn't mean that 2.8 is the appropriate setting for a given shot. If you're shooting groups, you should probably be stopping down. If getting multiple people in focus matters, you need to be stopping down. However, isolating individuals in a crowded dance floor can make for appealing shots.
p.1 #4 · My first 2.8 - worried about depth of field
large apertures can be a bit of a trap for exactly the reason you have mentioned. Concur with Evan on the FF. The DOF at 1.2 is challenging to sat the least.
p.1 #6 · My first 2.8 - worried about depth of field
Pete Gebhardt wrote:
I like technos advice I'm gonna do that but what if i have to take a group shot with more than 22 people?
Why F22 of course :-) figure how many rows, how wide and how much light you need...etc...at the point when you have to shoot this many, you should be able to figure it out on your own already, if not, more practice.
And plug in some values that you're likely to run into: IE "if I'm 10ft away from the subjects and using my zoom at 35mm, what f/stop do I need for 3 ft of depth of field to get two rows of people in focus?"
Its not about memorizing a given number, but getting a feel for what the f/stops will give you for DOF at different focal lengths. f/2.8 may be adequate at 17mm, but not at 55mm, for instance.
p.1 #8 · My first 2.8 - worried about depth of field
If you're not the primary shooter on this gig, you'll be in good shape. Mitzvahs are demanding and you'll learn faster from the stress of the busy environment.
To minimize DOF problems, if you're shooting two or more people, try to make sure they are standing next to eachother. If one is slightly closer or further, there will be a slight change in focal sharpness. Most times it's barely perceptible, but if you're looking to make the sharpest images possible, be aware of the plane of focus that your camera is grabbing.
To best control your focus, it might not be bad to switch to a single focus point rather than letting the camera choose. If you have two people standing different distances from your camera, hit the one you want to be the subject with the focus point, recompose and shoot.
Aim your focus point for their eyeballs. Once you've got them in focus, try to drive you flash up into them to let the camera capture what they're looking at. If you're in a large room, flash modifiers that push light forward (demb flip-it or the little white pull up card on your flash) tend to work better than those that spill light everywhere (fong dong).
What else? Um, have fun. Don't be afraid to throw yourself into the heart of a melee. Slap that thin focal plane on the kid who's screaming the loudest and let the bokah finish up making the picture.
p.1 #9 · My first 2.8 - worried about depth of field
ngoduyviet wrote:
Why F22 of course :-) figure how many rows, how wide and how much light you need...etc...at the point when you have to shoot this many, you should be able to figure it out on your own already, if not, more practice.
I also like technos' answer.
Can't say it was my idea. Sandy Puc said it and I chuckled.
I don't usually have to think about it too much. When I'm shooting, it's usually as wide-open as possible. When there is more than one person, I tend to switch to my "C" setting (f/4, 1/60, flash).
p.1 #10 · My first 2.8 - worried about depth of field
For 22 person group with 3 or 4 rows on a crop camera, you should be fine at 5.6 give or take. If shooting wide, 4 would work okay too. But, to play it safe, stay between 5.6 and 8 for larger groups. The further back and wider the angle, the less you need to worry..
Go outside and try it with some trees or chairs, etc. You'll be fine!
p.1 #12 · My first 2.8 - worried about depth of field
Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are no different from weddings or sweet sixteens in terms of DOF requirements, they are mostly what i shoot. They are easier in that you can shoot formals a few days earlier on site with flash and no stress. the party is just a party.
p.1 #13 · My first 2.8 - worried about depth of field
I hope you guys realize the f22 thing was a joke. Thanks all for the advice I'm putting the images from today into lightroom now. I did well and may have found a second shooter job with the primary photog that was there. He was enjoying his first day with a D3, amazing camera. In the evening I switched hats and DJed another Mitzvah and the photog there was using a D300 with no flash at ISO2000. The pictures were coming out great in a dark sports complex. Those new Nikon sensors are pretty amazing.
... 2.8 on a crop ain't shallow! Try shooting at 1.2 on FF 