best way to get both in focus

<p>hi just a smiple question to u kind people, i took a few photos for my freind of his daughter and son, but when i focus its either one or the other that are sharp? i use a canon 50d and a tamron 17-50 2.8, so whats the best setting, or focus mode to get both of them in focus, because if i focus on one of thier eyes then the other person is not in focus??</p>

<p>It sounds like you need to increase your depth of field a bit. So for instance, if you've been shooting wide open at something like f4, then try shooting at f8. If you want to use a shallow depth of field to blur the background, then make sure that both of your subjects are at the same distance from your lens (i.e. side by side, not one behind the other).</p>

<p>thx what is the best spot focus setting on the 50d , spot meter ( evaluative etc )</p>

<p>The meter setting doesn't affect focus, it affects exposure. What you want to do, to control the depth of field, is work in aperture priority mode and increase the F-number to increase the amount of focus depth. So if, say, you have three people who are 7, 8 and 10 feet from you, and you focus on the middle one and use f/3.5 and the other two are not in focus, you might go to f/5.6, f/8, etc. and get them in focus. But by doing that you reduce the amount of light getting through the lens which will require a slower shutter and/or higher ISO. You'll want to practice to get used to this.</p>

<p>The spot/center weighted/evaluative setting refers to how much area you want the camera to account for when setting the auto exposure. In spot, it meters whatever's in the center of the frame. In center weighted it uses a large area but gives more importance to the center. In evaluative it considers the whole frame and does its best to figure out what you're trying to do.</p>

<p>Stopping down your lens is one technique. <br>

Be aware that your camera has a particular focus point, and make sure it's pointed at the eyes of the person you're shooting, close your shutter halfway to lock that focus distance, recompose your picture to your satisfaction, and depress your shutter fully. The result should be a portrait in which the eyes are in sharp focus, even if the tip of the nose and the ears are not.<br>

When shooting two people, be aware that everything in a plane parallel to your film plane (or the back of your camera) will be in sharp focus, and objects closer to or further from the camera will be in less sharp focus. Move your camera so that the eyes of both subjects are in that plane (at an equal distance from your camera) and both pairs of eyes should be sharp, even if your lens is wide open.<br>

If you can't stop down your lens to a higher f-stop to increase depth of field and a viewpoint with all eyes at equal distances from the camera is unsatisfactory for some reason, it's possible to make something called a focus stack. Focus on one subject, make one exposure, and without moving the camera focus on the second subject and make a second exposure. In Photoshop open both exposures, select one, and move it to the window of the other with the Move tool, where it will appear in a separate layer above the other exposure, obscuring it. Erase all the out-of-focus areas in that layer and the other exposure will be revealed beneath it, hopefully in sharp focus. Choosing a soft brush for the Eraser tool will provide a gradual transition.</p>

<p>Geraint -<br>

Think back to those boring grammar school pics ... everyone lined up in rows parallel to the photog. The tall guys in the back, etc. Sometimes they were put on risers. The idea is as discussed, squashing everyone/everything into the thinnest layer (from front to back) that's parallel to the camera.</p>

<p>Depth of field limitation, i.e. not everybody being in focus, is either defeated that way or by a smaller aperture. Sometimes both have to be applied to get adequate coverage.</p>

<p>Here's a church photo I took. With an unruly crew and time for two shots at best, I went for the tier/riser/step approach and a setting of F13 for the aperture.</p>

<p>Try it in on your dining room with spice bottles in various arrangements. Digital drill with good natured subjects. Look at the shots on your monitor, and you'll get an 'oh yeah, now I get it' moment. Look at the file properties for the exif data to tell you your F-stop chosen, or jot it down with each shot on a slip of paper and include that in the shot as a memory jogger.</p>

<p>Jim</p><div></div>

<p>Good info on DOF here: http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html</p>

<p>Try not to take a group photo with some of the subjects in the sun & some in the shade, if possible. Also try to have the sun to their backs so sun is not casting shadows across our subjects, or making them squint. When possible both you and the group should both be either in the shade or both in the sun. Play with the f stops (higher number; f8 f9 etc) to get everyone in acceptable focus. Regards....Bob</p>