Small Group Shot Lens

BigAristotle

Hi all.
My girlfriend wants me to take group shots of her sorority. There are only five of them. I currently own a 50mm, 18-55mm, 85mm and 75-300mm. Would any of these work? If not, what would? I'm not opposed to renting something if necessary. Any tips would be a big help. Thanks in advance.

ohyeahar

For group shots, you generally want to avoid having the subjects in a line. It’s more interesting if they’re layered (i.e., some kneeling in front, some standing in back, etc.). So that means, you generally want a large depth of field to keep everyone in focus.
Long focal lengths tend to shrink the depth of field, so that means your telezoom and 85mm prime lenses are probably not the best choices. Besides, those lenses require a lot of space which you may not have. The longer focal lengths means greater risk of camera shake which means you’ll need faster shutter speeds to compensate, which means you need excellent lighting conditions.

So you’re left with the 50mm prime and the normal zoom lenses. Take them both. Use the zoom for the group shots and remember to stop down the aperture a bit to keep everyone in focus. Maximize your use of space and try to use the long end of your zoom. People tend to look nicer when shot with a longer lens. Then use the prime for individual portraits.