Tips for taking Group Photos
Here are some tips for your "I'm Ready" photo shoot, only slightly adapted from: http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-take-great-group-photos/ 1. Prepare: There is nothing that will make of people posing for a photograph turn upon you faster than you not being prepared. People don’t like to be kept waiting so think ahead about some of the following aspects of your photo: * scope out the location of your shot before hand * think ahead about how you will pose people and frame your shot * make sure everyone you want in the shot knows you want them there for a few minutes * make your your camera is on and has charged batteries
1. Prepare: There is nothing that will make of people posing for a photograph turn upon you faster than you not being prepared. People don’t like to be kept waiting so think ahead about some of the following aspects of your photo:
- scope out the location of your shot before hand
- think ahead about how you will pose people and frame your shot
- make sure everyone you want in the shot knows you want them there for a few minutes
- make your your camera is on and has charged batteries
2. Location: Choose a fitting location, a position where your group will fit, where there is enough light for the shot and where there is no distractions in the background.
3. Props and banners: make sure your group has "Green Jobs Now" and "I'm Ready" signs or banners.
4. Time your shot well: build time into your event agenda, make sure everyone will be together and you have plenty of time to take the shot.
5. Take a LOT of pictures: You'll probably end up deleting most of them after you copy them to the computer and check them out, but your odds of getting a shot where nobody is making a weird face, or has their eyes closed are much better if you take several snaps of each setup.
6. Get Close: The closer you get, the more detail on people's faces.
7. Pose the Group: tall people in the back, chins lifted to avoid double-chins.
Common group photo mistakes and problems include:
- one or more subjects always seem to be looking away or in different directions (ie at different photographers)
- subjects blinking (there’s always one)
- someone being missing from the photo
- someone's head is hidden
- different moods in the group (some smiling, some serious, some playing up to the camera etc)
- the group being too far away or not all fitting into the shot
More tips at: http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-take-great-group-photos/
Also see our Photos and Video page.
