35L for family of 3 portraits?

I'm pretty new to photography but got a great deal on a 35L.
I have this lens and a 18-55mm kit lens and want to take a few shots in a urban setting a couple of hours before sunset. Backdrops will be old brick buildings and I will probably set camera on tripod 8-10 feet away to get us all in photo. I'll be using remote to take photos.
Wide open im afraid the 35 will put one of us in focus and the rest no so much.
Any suggestions?
thanks,
Adam

So stop the lens down a bit? What's the problem???

What would you think a good starting point for the aperture? I figure in Manual mode or AV mode start at say 4.5? Also, what do you think about me using the 430ex ii on camera with a bounce card or just utilize natural light as much as possible?

Focus is affected more by aperture than focal length (although it is affected by both). I highly recommend shooting at f/5.6 or higher if you plan on posing people in front of or behind others.

joe

I wouldn't shoot a group of 3 at F1.4, stop it down to at least 2.8.

If you have some time before this shoot set up your tripod 8-10 feet away from a couple of object to see what you depth of field would be like at those distances.

Brendo666 wrote in post #13519976
I wouldn't shoot a group of 3 at F1.4, stop it down to at least 2.8.

If you have some time before this shoot set up your tripod 8-10 feet away from a couple of object to see what you depth of field would be like at those distances.

Great idea, I do plan on showing up early to try this. thanks

charro callado wrote in post #13519974
Focus is affected more by aperture than focal length (although it is affected by both). I highly recommend shooting at f/5.6 or higher if you plan on posing people in front of or behind others.

joe

thanks. I plan on just having my wife and I sit together with our two year old between us.

http://www.dofmaster.c​om/dofjs.html or just check this.

gonzogolf wrote in post #13519994
http://www.dofmaster.c​om/dofjs.html or just check this.

thank you

This is also an opportunity for you to learn and experiment a little but start with the smaller apertures and work your way to being wide open then you know you have the for sure shots first. Also a couple of hours before sunset can still be bright and that flash might struggle to have enough power if you are trying to compete with the sun too much. Find a spot in complete shade that will help and by complete shade I mean speckled tree shade is no good.

Almost everything on the most recent entry of my blog is with the 35L or 135L.

The 35L is going to give you better everything over the kit lens... Don't use a tripod, move around to get the shot man!

http://drewjosephphoto​graphy.blogspot.com/

drewjoseph wrote in post #13520187
Almost everything on the most recent entry of my blog is with the 35L or 135L.

The 35L is going to give you better everything over the kit lens... Don't use a tripod, move around to get the shot man!

http://drewjosephphoto​graphy.blogspot.com/

I will have to check out your blog....I will only be using tripod with remote to get a family shot of us all. I will then take off tripod to get some shots of my two year old and wife.

david lacey wrote in post #13520170
This is also an opportunity for you to learn and experiment a little but start with the smaller apertures and work your way to being wide open then you know you have the for sure shots first. Also a couple of hours before sunset can still be bright and that flash might struggle to have enough power if you are trying to compete with the sun too much. Find a spot in complete shade that will help and by complete shade I mean speckled tree shade is no good.

Thanks. I have a couple of ideas of where a building shades a spot in front of old brick building. Bouncing the 430 off a card at a 45 degree angle right?

adamg5 wrote in post #13520223
Thanks. I have a couple of ideas of where a building shades a spot in front of old brick building. Bouncing the 430 off a card at a 45 degree angle right?

I am not the right one to ask for that, I think flash should be off of the camera on it's own stand and prefer an umbrella or softbox. I don't want to make this too complicated if you are just trying to do this for the first time.

Are you referring to the flash being mounted to the camera or on it's own stand?

david lacey wrote in post #13520239
I am not the right one to ask for that, I think flash should be off of the camera on it's own stand and prefer an umbrella or softbox. I don't want to make this too complicated if you are just trying to do this for the first time.

Are you referring to the flash being mounted to the camera or on it's own stand?

mounted on top of camera, I don't have a way of shooting off camera at this time...