Focussing for two people shaking hands

[kevin cook - stratford upo]

When I shoot a B&G I focus on the bride usually but again usually

they are both very close.

What about two people shaking hands at some distance apart maybe

with no close background?

I normally use a single focus point on my 20D but should I use

multiple? Is there a trick to this?

 

Kevin

[erik_dahlbeck]

I guess it all depends on where you actually want to have your point of focus? What is the aspect angle to the subjects? Are they parallel to the focus plane or is either person closer to the camera than the other one?

[kevin cook - stratford upo]

Well they'll be next door to each other. I would be about 10 feet in front and to their right by about 4 feet from what I can remember.

I don't think there are any DOF issues it's just the focus point.

[GerrySiegel]

Could you stage a test run for this gripping encounter with two stand in? That is what I would do,if it were George and Vladimir and a once in a lifetime encounter. What did we do before focus points made things complex? Grip and grin and guesstimate and f 8. Or 5.6 with flash.

[jim_gifford]

If the emphasis is on the PEOPLE shaking hands, focus on the eyes, recompose (if necessary) and shoot.

 

If the focus is on the FACT that the two people are shaking hands, focus on the hands and shoot.

 

The central focus point coud lock on infinity in the gap between your two handshaking subjects... that's why you might need to recompose after focusing on some part of your subject(s).

 

If you like messing with multiple focus points, you can use the focus point(s) that line up with hands or eyes. Unless you're quite close to the two people, or shooting at f/1.4... depth of field will give you hands AND eyes in focus.

 

Be well,

[jim_gifford]

Sorry, in my second bit I wrote <<If the focus is on the FACT that the two people are shaking hands...>> and I should be flogged with a wet noodle for using "focus" to mean "emphasis" when the post is also about the physical process of focusing a lens.

 

I should have written this sentence just like its predecessor... If the *emphasis* is on the FACT that the two people are shaking hands... etc.

 

Be well,

[kevin cook - stratford upo]

LOL I knoew what you meant :-)

 

Thanks all

[al_kaplan1]

Probably the hands are the place to focus because they're the magic "average distance" of the people from the camera. In most indoor "grip and grin" situations you're using a flash and you WANT the background to go a bit dark and be less of a distraction. This is an ideal situation for using a rangefinder camera with auto flash. Since there's no mirror black-out you can usually see if the peoples' eyes are open when the flash goes off. Still, it's best to shoot a couple frames, even three or four for a large group.