8x10 technique

[bwaysteve]

I am shooting 3/4 people on 8x10 with a 360mm Schneider lens.
I am aiming the camera from eye level at the subject at a 25 degree angle at 7 ft. away.Both standards are parallel.I was exposing at f 16 with strobe.The subject had his hands crossed across his belt area.I focused on the eyes and all was in focus that was on the same plane ie.face ,shirt jeans.The only out of focus was mid forarm down to the hands.
To get all in focus what camera movement is appropriate or just stop down more.
The bulk will be done in available light w/trix @200 in open shade.
I am thinking 22.5 might work because of people and low light is my limit for shutter speed.I have no polaroid capability.
Do images with people close get less sharp at apertures beyond f22.

[Vaughn]

No, not noticibly at contact printing size.

Vaughn

Are you shoot 3 to 4 people at a time or 3/4's of one person? At 7' with a 360mm lens, one does not have a whole bunch of DoF.

[bwaysteve]

I am shooting singles.I have tried (without film) focusing on the near(hands) and tilting slightly on the eyes(far) at f 32 and it helps somewhat.I know DOF is short but I should be able to get it all even and sharp.

[Peter K]

Tilt the lens standard a little bit with the top of the standard in the direction of the subject and refocus up to the point eyes and hands are sharp. Than stop down to f 16 and control focus.

Peter K

[bwaysteve]

Thanks Peter.I tried focusing with lens and film plane parallel.Then tilt, refocus on eyes,stop down.I am still at f 45.Tilt more? Trying to expose at f22.
I know this sounds lame and should be simple.

[Peter K]

In "Scheimpflug's rule" the lines of groundglass, lens panel and subject plane has to intersect. So think of a line between the eyes and the hands and tilt the front standard up to the (thought) lines intersect in eachother. To look how this will work you can either take a patient person or a chair, a broomstick and a newspaper. Lay the newspaper on the seat of the chair and the broomstick vertically on the backrest. Mark the broomstick in the hight one person's eye are. So you can try to increase the focus without to strain the patience of your subject. And you can see how the focus changes by the lines of the newspaper when the standard is tiltet.

Cheers

Peter K

[bwaysteve]

Thanks Peter ! All clear now.Steve

[John Berry]

You indicated that the front and back are parallel but were they vertical? The back moves too. Trying to get it in with 25 degrees of bed angle and no back movement is just masochistic.