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Question:
It seems when I’m taking a group picture, indoors, the faces do not come out sharp, or crisp. What can I do about this?
Answer: If you are shooting group shots indoors with available light, the camera might be automatically increasing the ISO (sensitivity) to capture the image. If the location is dark, the camera may increase the ISO to a higher level, such as ISO 800. As the ISO increases, the image will become grainier which will reduce the detail in the faces in a group photo, which are already small. The same thing happens if you are using the DIS (Digital Image Stabilization) Scene mode—the ISO increases to stop action and camera shake by using a faster shutter speed.
The solution is to use the camera’s built-in flash when taking group photos. The camera will not have to use a higher ISO and the instantaneous flash will stop subject motion and camera shake.
If the shot is a posed group photo, the faces can be made larger by posing the group in two rows, with the back row positioned between the people in the front row or have the people in the front row seated. Since the group will now be less wide, it will be possible to back up and zoom in a bit so that both rows will be more evenly illuminated by the flash.
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