Graduation Photos

Ladyt

Hi Moose!
I just happened to stumble across this awesome site! Thank you!
I have a Canon T3i with several lenses. I am going to an outdoor graduation and would like to know which lens would be best for this event (50mm or 18-55mm), and which settings should I use?

PBked

I would choose the 18-55mm although the 50mm is fine if you can move around. This is one of those situations when a longer zoom can be of help. You mention you have several lenses. If one of them is in the range 18-200mm or thereabouts, I would choose that one.
As for settings, I could make a fortune if I could predict the weather for a particular place in the world on a particular day. However, generally, set ISO to 100 if possible for best quality (but try not to go above 400). Set a small aperture in Av mode such as f/8, f/11, or f/16 for good depth of field.
If it is a sunny day, then use the 'sunny 16 rule'. Set your camera to M, aperture to f/16, shutter speed to 1/125 and ISO to 100.
Personally, if you want to concentrate on composition, I would just use P mode and Auto ISO and shoot in RAW for post production later. However, if you are using a longer lens, then be aware of the focal length and adjust your shutter speed accordingly to help prevent camera shake. This is not such an issue if your lens has IS.

PBked

Ladyt

Thank you!