Group Photography, how to make your shot stand out ...

This week we are going to talk about tips on making your group photography stand out.  I thought this was a good time of year to approach this subject with folk getting together over the holidays there is always a need for a group shot.

First of all group photos are not limited to the holiday season, they are also popular at weddings, anniversaries, schools, reunions, sport teams, schools, and I could go on and on, but the tips on how to do it remain the same.

We have all seen the group shots, with eyes closed, someone looking the wrong way, or the photographer being to far away from the group.  Here are the things to think about when preparing to take your group shot.

Number One: That’s where we will start, prepare your shot ahead of time if not physically in your head.  First check out the location, think about how you will set up and pose the group, and that you have a way of letting everyone know ahead of time when and where you are going to take the shot.

Number Two: The Location is also important as you want it to reflect the group you are photographing, if it’s at Christmas party you may want to include decorations, and if it’s at a sporting event you may want to use the sports field or something relating to the event as your background.  Remember your photo tells the story.

Number Three: Take more than one shot, you have spent time organizing everyone you don’t want to leave the shot to chance.  Tell the group before you start you are going to take more than one shot.  Closed eyes can be frustrating, one trick is to have everyone close their eyes, count to three and have them open them just before you take the shot.  It can also take three or four shots for the group to relax.  Don’t forget to try a few angles and zoom in and out when taking the different shots.

Number Four: Which brings us to the next tip, zoom in tight.  You don’t need to have a large empty space around your subject.

Number Five: Make sure your group is posed.  Most times folk will naturally start to form into a good group shot, but as the photographer you are the director and want to make sure everyone is posed properly, consider height, size of your subjects.  If it is a special occasion, make sure the special guests, bride and groom for instance are the centre of your image.  Addressing size, put shorter folk on the edges of your group and taller folk to the back.  Also don’t make to many rows or it will be hard to see detail in your images, and just before you take the shot ask the group to slightly raise their chins.

Number Six: Consider the light, you want to make sure it is bright enough to pick up detail, you also may consider a fill flash for both outdoors and indoor group shots.

Number Seven: The timing of getting everyone together is important too, wait until the event is well underway and you will find everyone is much more relaxed.  But a caution don’t leave it to late as you want them at their best, especially if the beverages are a little stronger than just punch ...

Number Eight: Make sure you are in control of the group.  You want to have control, if the photographer losses control you will never get your shot.  Communicate with the group and keep talking, motivate them and let them know this won’t take long.  You want to encourage the group, if it’s a sporting event you might say come on lets give it your all ... we are celebrating a victory here.

Number Nine: You may want to use an assistant especially if your group has quite a few subjects, an assistant can help you get everyone in order and be a second set of eyes if someone is out of place.  Consider an assistant if you have to do multiple groups as they can keep track of who’s had their photo taken and who still needs to have their photo to be taken.

Number Ten: Like many other photo topics and tips, make sure you use a tripod, especially if you are working alone as you may have to leave the camera go back reposition the group.  Using a tripod will also help when framing the image as you will have an idea of where to place your subjects.

There you go a few things to remember this holiday season when taking group photos and don’t forget to tell your group to smile.   Doug Burdick - Stan C. Reade Photo.