appropriate apetuere for large family

[jhoch33]

Hi

I have a large family portrait shoot coming up, and from what I hear there are 20+ people for this event.

I have never done anything of this magnitude, and was wonder if anyone could suggest a appature to start off at ?

It will be in the afternoon around 5, so there will be enough light, I just need some hints and suggestions for where to start!

thanks!

[bdpaco]

depends on what lens you are using and how far you are from the group and how you have them arranged . Start with f8 and focus on the 2nd row if you have more than two rows of people.

[jhoch33]

Probably use my 18-55 since its a wider lens than my 28-105

thank you for the advice

[Panoz]

I always shot groups at f/8 to ensure front row to back row sharpness. I took enough lights or shot at appropriate times/appropriate ISOs to ensure f/8 would work.

[HughR]

I've done a fair number of large group shots, and I prefer f/11 for the extra depth of field. If there are more than two rows, do focus on the second row as suggested by bdpaco. Also, don't use too wide a lens angle, as it will distort the people at the edges of the frame. Try to back up if possible and use a focal length around 24 mm on a crop body (about 38mm full frame equivalent).

[jhoch33]

ok thank you