Go-to lenses for event photography

dwmcreative wrote:

My issue isn't a wide angle lens, it's that if I'm shooting with a 23 f2 for instance, sometimes the camera will focus really well on one person but then the two people on the sides are blurry (possibly because they are on a slightly different plain. As you can see I'm still learning but I'm really trying not to F up this party this weekend

If those blurry people are in front or behind your subject, you need to increase depth-of-field by choosing a higher f-stop value, i.e. pick f/4 instead of f/2. Same principle applies if you are positioned diagonally to your subjects.

dwmcreative wrote:

My issue isn't a wide angle lens, it's that if I'm shooting with a 23 f2 for instance, sometimes the camera will focus really well on one person but then the two people on the sides are blurry (possibly because they are on a slightly different plain. As you can see I'm still learning but I'm really trying not to F up this party this weekend

Just stop down a little, it will help. Your camera can certainly handle the high ISOs. I maintain that the f4 of your 18-55 would also be fine, if you don't shoot too close to your human subjects.

Hi, Daniel-- I have a somewhat different suggestion for you. I recently photographed the memorial for a family member, held in a small restaurant in New York. When I arrived I noticed another person photographing with a FF camera and flash, and every time he raised it toward a person or group, their reaction was to stop and pose. So, in order to get photos without interrupting the flow of important conversations, I just used my 1Phone 12 Pro. No one paid any attention to the phone, so the photos feel like more genuine records of emotionally intense moments. I made some of the photos into a Blurb 8x10" book and everyone has praised and appreciated it. The phone photo quality is fine for such a book. Best wishes, Mike O'Brien

I agree. Photos from cellphones and a lot of point-shoot-cameras have been good enough for books and prints up to 13x19 in. for quite some time.

I have sold 12x18 in. prints with photos made with my 12 yr. old Canon Powershot 500 HS and a Blurb book from my point-and-shoot film camera.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their advice last week. The event was Saturday and it went well and the friend (aka. client) was happy with the photos.

I brought a 90mm f2, 23mm f2 and 18-55 f2.8

I mainly used the 23 and the 90 ( a second body would have been very helpful)

Or an in-between lens because sometimes the 90 was too tight in a small space - even though it's my favourite lens and most of my best pics were taken with it.

The fuji xh2s performed very well in low light, but sometimes I screwed up the focus because of the aperture being too wide.

I tried to use a godox flash at the beginning but it was too bright and I really have almost zero experience with flash so left it to a wide aperture.

I also much prefer capturing candid moments vs posed group photos which were generally awful, but I guess if I want to do family events, posed groups come with the territory.

Thanks again everyone, I posted a few pics below

Excellent samples! I'm glad it worked out so well.

Ya did fine!  Congrats!