Use a 60mm macro for a post wedding dinner?

[namu]

<p>How would you recommend I make the best use of this 60mm macro lens I rented for a post-wedding dinner event?</p>

<p>I normally have an 18-55 lens for my Canon 30D but for this event, I wanted to rent something that had a shallow depth of field. It's a post-wedding dinner event I'll be shooting. I contacted the lens rental place, which shall remain nameless, as this was the last day I could rent before the weekend, because of the holidays. They were out of 50mm primes and 85mm and pretty much anything I was familiar with, so I asked them to recommend a lens with a nice, shallow depth of field that I could use at the post-wedding dinner. I told them I wouldn't be posing people, but rather just walking around and capturing shots of the evening. They recommended the 60mm 2.8. They didn't mention it was a macro.</p>

<p>I don't know my lenses, I'm sad to say, so I went ahead and rented the 60mm. Took it home and started practice shooting with it, and of course, noticed right away that I would have to be very far back from people to get more than a face in my shot. And getting a group of four or five people standing next to each other? Seems like I'd almost have to be across the room.</p>

<p>So is this a complete loss for me? The shots I'm taking with this lens have a gorgeous bokeh, but I'm just not sure how I'm going to shoot any group larger than maybe two.</p>

<p>Any ideas or suggestions? Beyond "take it back", which is not an option. Thanks all!</p>

[luis_g]

<p> Namu, the important thing is for you to do the very best possible job you can for your clients. If the lens doesn't work for the space, then don't use it. Maybe you can use it for ring photos or detail shots. The shallow DOF thing may have to wait.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Go with the flow and shoot faces of the people at the dinner. Use your 18-55mm for the wider shots.</p>

[john_deerfield]

<p>Look at it this way, if you want to shoot a group of 4 or 5 people, you are going to need an aperture of at least f/4 at which point you can just use your 18-55. Luis and Nadine hit the nail on the head: the 18-55 for group shots and the 60mm to isolate <em>a</em> subject/object.</p>

[namu]

<p>Thank you all, for the prompt replies!</p>

<p>Sigh. That's what I figured on, but I was half-heartedly hoping someone would come through with a "Oh, all you have to do is tie a ribbon around it and wrap a piece of aluminum foil to that ribbon, and you've just doubled your focal length!" sort of thing. Haha, one can hope for Christmas miracles, right?</p>

<p>I'll do just that - I'll stick with the 18-55 for the wider shots, and use the 60mm where I can. There are no ring shots, or anything like that - this is just a post-wedding dinner, not a full reception, so it's all casual shooting of people. I'll do my best and hope the clients enjoy it. :)</p>

<p>Oh, this 60mm seems to have trouble auto-focusing in low light, should I stick with manual focusing? I'm worrying that in the dinner restaurant setting, it will be hard either way. Manually focusing in darker settings isn't fun either, lol.</p>

[anov]

<p>You were going to rent the 50mm or the 85mm before, so 60mm is not too far off from what you had in mind, which is a portrait lens. That lens is one of the Canon's sharpest lens. It is a macro so the focus throw is long, meaning it takes a lot of rotation from infinity to macro range. I would utilize the AF focus assist on your flash to help with focus.</p>

[joshuasigar]

<p>Take details/macro shots if you can get to the place before the guests arrive.</p>

<p>What's wrong with taking people pictures from afar? You know, street style. Or you need those people to look at the camera? Well, time to experiment with a new style. :)</p>

[rt_jones]

<p>I'm going out on a limb here when I say you probably won't even need that 60mm and rented it for nothing. Don't let this possibility force you to use it because of this.<br>

Don't forget the flash. I've yet to be in a restaurant that wasn't dank and dark.</p>

[namu]

<p>I can't remember the rule regarding posting of links, but if it's not allowed, please feel free to delete it and anyone who really wants to see it can ask for it and I'll be happy to share the link.<br>

With that said, here are the shots from the post-wedding dinner. I think they turned out very nice, and miracle of miracles, I used the 60mm almost the entire night. Sometimes it was difficult to get everyone in the shot - definitely not a group shot lens - but the bride and groom wanted 99% unposed shots, so it worked out very well.<br>

http://www.namuwilliams.com/clients/cole/</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Namu--it is allowed because it is closely related to the topic. :^)</p>

<p>Looks good to me. You handled 'going with the flow' just as I would have. Only thing I'd say is to watch those flash shadows.</p>

[namu]

<p>Thanks Nadine! Yeah, that's a problem area for me. I'm learning about drop off and compensating for different light levels in the same shot. I'm happy though, I'm finally shooting in manual all the time now...next step...shoot in raw! lol</p>