Why Is Part of My Group Photo Out of Focus?

Likely causes

• Aperture too wide for the group's actual depth. a large group arranged in multiple rows is deeper than it looks, and a wide aperture may not cover the full depth from front row to back.
• Focused on the wrong row. focusing on the front row when the depth of field doesn't extend far enough back leaves everyone behind them soft.
• Underestimating how much depth a close group actually spans. a tighter group standing close to the camera needs more depth of field than the same group further away.

The fix

1. Narrow the aperture (a higher f-number) to increase the total depth of field before shooting a multi-row group.
2. Check the near and far limits for your actual aperture and distance to confirm the whole group falls inside the sharp zone.
3. Focus roughly a third of the way into the group rather than on the front row, to make better use of the available depth.