Where Should Your Focus Point Be When Photographing People?

If you are simply photographing a single person and they are occupying the majority of the frame, it is not hard to know where to place your focus point, but things can get a bit more complicated if you are dealing with a group of people or a particularly intricate scene. This helpful video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to make sure you get the best possible results every time. 

Coming to you from Katelyn James, this excellent video tutorial will show you some helpful tips for where to place your focus point for photographing people. For something like a portrait of a single person, this is easy, but when you get to working with larger groups, it can be a bit trickier. One particular salient point James makes is the importance of being aware of the focal plane. Of course, we all know the importance of the focal point, but it is easy to forget that is not the sole place of focus, but rather, it tells the camera where to set the entire plane of focus. As such, you need to consider your angle relative to the subject(s) when setting the focus plane and choosing an aperture. Check out the video above for the full rundown from James. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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