Inside the booth
Keep two people readable in the same booth frame
Test their relative positions before changing equipment.
One face can look sharp while the other sits outside the useful focus area. A small pose adjustment may help more than a complicated editing fix.
Start with similar distance
Ask the two people to sit or stand at a similar distance from the camera when comfortable. Take a quiet sample and inspect both faces. Avoid forcing them into physical contact to meet an arbitrary arrangement. The best setup must work for the actual people, not only a demonstration pair.
Check the camera behaviour
Follow the focusing controls supported by your device. If you use a camera with adjustable aperture, Nikon’s portrait guide explains why a very narrow depth of field can be a problem. Do not assume a smartphone’s creative portrait effect gives the same control or result as another camera system.
Evidence: Manufacturer guidance
Compose for the strip window
Look at the finished strip crop, not only the full capture. Confirm that both people retain headroom and readable expressions. Retest when their positions change. Keep an unedited source so a later correction or different layout does not depend on an already cropped delivery copy.
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- Nikon — quick tips for better portraitsManufacturer guidance