How to Take Great Group Photos

From: http://digital-photography-school.com/

One of the most common types of digital photographs is the ‘group photo‘. They happen everywhere from weddings, to camps, to parties, to sporting teams, to school etc.

Thousands of group photos must be taken each day around the world - but unfortunately many of them leave those taking them disappointed with the results. Common 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
• 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

While there will always be such challenges with Group Photos there are a number of things you can do to help improve your chances of getting the shot you’re after:

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
• one of the group’s head hiding behind another person
• make sure everyone you want in the shot knows you want them a few minutes ahead of time
• make your your camera is on and has charged batteries

Photo by Erin

2. Location

The place that you have your group stand is important to group shots for a number of reasons. For starters it can give the photo context - for example a shot of a sporting team on their playing field means more than a shot of them in front of a brick wall. The other reason that choosing locations carefully is important is that it can have distractions in it.

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Choose a position where your group will fit, where there is enough light for the shot and where there is no distractions in the background. Also avoid setting up a group shot directly in front of a window where the light from your flash might reflect back in a way that destroys your shot.

3. Take Multiple Shots

One of the best ways to avoid the problems of not everyone looking just right in a shot is to take multiple photos quickly. I often switch my camera into continuous shooting mode when taking group shots and shoot in short bursts of shots. I find that the first shot is often no good but that the one or two directly after it often give a group that looks a little less posed and more relaxed.

Similarly - shoot some frames off before everyone is ready - sometimes the organization of a group shot can be quite comical with people tell each other where to go and jostling for position.

Also mix up the framing of your shots a little if you have a zoom lens by taking some shots that are at a wide focal length and some that are more tightly framed.

Photo by Mark MacClean

4. Get in Close

Try to get as close as you can to the group you’re photographing (without cutting some members of it out of course). The closer you can get the more detail you’ll have in their faces - something that really lifts a shot a lot.

If your group is a smaller one get right in close to them and take some head and shoulder shots. One effective technique for this is to get your small group to all lean their heads in close to enable you to get in even closer. Another way to get in closer is to move people out of a one line formation and stagger them but putting some people in front and behind.

5. Pose the group

In most cases your group will pose itself pretty naturally (we’ve all done it before). Tall people will go to the back, short people to the front. But there are other things you can do to add to the photo’s composition:

• If the event is centered around one or two people (like a wedding or a birthday) make them the central focal point by putting them right in the middle of the group (you can add variation to your shots by taking some of everyone looking at the camera and then everyone looking at the person/couple).
• For formal group photos put taller members in the group not only towards the back of the group but centered with shorter people on the edges of the group.
• Try not to make the group too ‘deep’ (ie keep the distance between the front line of people and the back line as small as you can). This will help to keep everyone in focus. If the group is ‘deep’ use a narrower aperture.
• Tell everyone to raise their chins a little - they’ll thank you later when they see the shot without any double chins!

Photo by andrew.smith

6. Timing Your Shoot Well

Pick the moment for your shot carefully. Try to choose a time that works with what is happening at the gathering that you’re at. I find it best to do a group shot when the group is already close together if possible and when there is a lull in proceedings.

Also towards the start of events can be a good time as everyone is all together, they all look their best and if there is alcohol involved no one is too under the weather yet.

7. Think about Light

In order to get enough detail in your subjects you need to have sufficient light. The way you get this varies from situation to situation but consider using a flash if the group is small enough and you are close enough for it to take effect - especially if the main source of light is coming from behind the group.

If it’s a bright sunny day and the sun is low in the sky try not to position it directly behind you or you’ll end up with a collection of squinting faces in your shot.

8. Take Control

I’ve been in a number of group photos where the photographer almost lost control of his subjects by not being quick enough but also by not communicating well with their group of subjects. It is important to keep talking to the group, let them know what you want them to do, motivate them to smile, tell them that they look great and communicate how much longer you’ll need them for.

Also important is to give your subjects a reason to pose for the photograph. For example at a wedding you might motivate people to pose by saying ‘((insert name of couple being married here)) have asked me to get some group shots’ or at a sporting event ‘lets take a group photo to celebrate our win’. When you give people a reason to pose for you you’ll find they are much more willing to take a few minutes to pose for you.

Another very useful line to use with group is - ‘If you can see the camera it can see you’. This one is key if you want to be able to see each person’s face in the shot.

If there are more photographers than just you then wait until others have finished their shots and then get the attention of the full group otherwise you’ll have everyone looking in different directions.

Of course you don’t want to be a dictator when posing your group or you could end up with lots of group shots of very angry people. The best photographers know how to get people’s attention, communicate what they want but also keep people feeling relaxed and like they are having fun.

Photo by EssPea

9. For large groups

Large groups of people can be very difficult to photograph as even with staggering people and tiering to make the back people higher you can end up being a long way back to fit everyone in.

One solution to this is to find a way to elevate yourself as the photographer. If I’m photographing a wedding and the couple wants one big group shot I’ll arrange for a ladder to be present (I’ve even climbed up onto church roofs) to take a shot looking down on the group. In doing this you can fit a lot more people in and still remain quite close to the group (you end up with a shot of lots of faces in focus and less bodies). It also gives an interesting perspective to your shots - especially if you have a nice wide focal length.

10. Use a Tripod

There are a number of reasons why using a tripod when taking photographs of groups can be useful. Firstly a tripod communicates that you’re serious about what you’re doing and can help you get their attention (it’s amazing what a professional looking set up can make people do). Secondly it gives you as the photographer more freedom to be involved in the creation of the posing of your subjects. Set your camera up on your tripod so that’s ready to take the shot in terms of framing, settings and focus and then it will be ready at an instant when you get the group looking just right to capture the moment.

Photo by Austin Henry

11. Use an Assistant

If you have a very large group and assistant can be very handy to get the group organized well.

An assistant is also incredibly handy if you are taking multiple group shots (like at a wedding when you’re photographing different configurations of a family). In these cases I often ask the couple to provide me with a family or friend member who has a running sheet of the different groups of people to be photographed. I then get this person to ensure we have everyone we need in each shot. Having a family member do this helps to make sure you don’t miss anyone out but also is good because the group is familiar with them and will generally respond well when they order them around.

12. Smile

Yes YOU should smile! There’s nothing worse than a grumpy stressed out photographer. Have fun and enjoy the process of getting your shots and you’ll find the group will too. I usually come home from a wedding which I’ve photographed with an incredibly sore jaw-line from all the smiling because I find the best way to get the couple and their family to relax and smile is to smile at them. It really does work.

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PS:

One more quick tip. Get a little Creative. Check out the shot below which is one of the more unique group photos that I’ve ever seen!

Photo by weaving major & tractor dan

Travel Photography

(From: schoolofphotography.com)

Ever look through travel magazines and books and envy the photographer who took the images? There is no doubt that travel photography is one of the most popular types of photography. In fact how many can raise their hands and admit their camera collects dust between trips? If there was a vote it would probably be a substantial amount.

It is obvious why this is the case. We wouldn't think twice about photographing our own surroundings, we take it for granted and because we see our local area so often, it doesn't inspire us. This is even true for people who live in parts of the world that are very photogenic such as Venice as shown in Fig T1 taken by SOP tutor Douglas Mann (aka: Photomann). You can see a very extensive travelogue from all parts of the world that Photomann has travelled on his website. http://www.photomann.com/

Once we go outside familiar surroundings everything looks fresh and the impact of seeing something different inspires us to photograph it. When we travel, we like to document our travels through photographs, mainly to show others on our return. Also when travelling, people are usually accompanied by family and friends and it gives us a chance to photograph them, which we rarely seem to have time to do at home.

Travel photographs aren't just about photographing places and the people you are with, but also the people who live there and the events that may take place in your destination. In fact travel photos can be broken down into three categories; People, places and events.

Photographing People

Images of people are an important part of documenting a visit. To many people, travel is about visiting strange and exotic locations. Don't forget though that it's the people who live in these locations that often add the "strange and exotic" to the location.

Sometimes it's not always the locals who add this element to a location, the visitors can often put in their share of the "strange and exotic".

Traditional fashions are often popular in travel portraiture. The image in fig T2 shows a Portuguese Gypsy in traditional black dress. She is also doing what most European Gypsies are famous for; selling goods at a market.

Photographing Places

There may be a number of reasons why we travel to a particular location. It could be to enjoy some fine weather, to visit well known attractions such as theme parks, to explore its history and historical landmarks, to enjoy its natural beauty or to visit friends and family.

Whatever the reason there will probably be well known landmarks or just scenes that immediately identify the location. Some would be very well known and others less so.

One well known natural landmark is the Rhine River in Germany shown in fig T3. The Rhine is steeped in history both ancient and modern. Today it is still a major thoroughfare for barges carrying cargo as well as tourist traffic. No photo of the Rhine is complete without a castle nestled near its shore.

Photographing Events

An event is often the reason for a visit to a specific place. These could be festivals, fairs, religious occasions or rituals. This may be your main reason for visiting. When planning a trip to any sort of destination, find out when these events are on and try to plan your trip during that time, even if its not your sole reason for visiting the locality.

Most popular destinations are done up to look their best for special events or occasions. What better event is a parade?

St. Patrick's Day parades take place all over the world, the more famous parades actually take place in the United States. But there is nothing to match the real thing; a St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ireland, home of St. Patrick (Fig T4).

Photography Tips - Nature Photography

From: schoolofphotography.com)

The term nature covers a wide variety of subjects. It can be anything from a small flower to a large mammal. Any subject that is totally "natural" can be classed as a suitable subject for a nature image. The image would not even have to be of a singular subject, it could be a group of animals or an entire natural landscape. So this gives us a very wide variety of subjects. The first rule of thumb any photographer should abide by when taking nature images is to keep it "natural". Exclude any signs of "the hand of man" in your images. Try to show your subject in its natural habitat if this is possible. If not make sure not to show any signs of human interference when taking a shot. Flowers and Plants Flowers of course, are very popular subjects to photograph. They are extremely colourful and are in easy access. Most flowers are large enough to fill the camera frame without any need of close up equipment. Fungi or mushrooms are another type of plant to keep in mind. Mushrooms like the one shown here (right) are very colourful. Other types of mushrooms or fungi can have great texture qualities. The photo above right is a good example of the different ways to explore nature through the lens of a camera. The most important aspect when taking photos of flowers or plants is to get them at their prime. Find a flower that is not showing signs of wilting but is fully developed. Make sure to exclude any signs of flower pots, fences, plant supports etc. If the flower or plant you are photographing is in a garden or greenhouse, isolate it by getting in close or fill the background with related plant life such as leaves etc.

Insects Insects are a very popular subject to photograph and are easily accessed. The trick for successful images of insects is to get in close. Most standard camera equipment can get respectably close but for that real punchy image macro or close-up lenses, filters or attachments would be necessary with most insects. Many insects are very fast moving and would be difficult to photograph under normal lighting conditions. Flash is a big help but try to keep the flash lighting as natural looking as possible. Use a remote flash (off camera flash) or a ring flash (lens mounted flash) for best results. Again the thing to get right is the location where the insect is taken. Ideally the insect should be in or on a natural location such as a flower or leaf. An insect on prepared food or any human implement would not be classed as a nature image.

Animals When presenting animals as a nature image, make sure it is not of the domesticated kind. Photos of pets like dogs and cats are NOT nature images. Other domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep and horses would not be classed as nature subjects either. It can be a bit difficult to find animals in their habitat for many people. Wild animals are usually shy creatures that are gone long before most of us have a chance to see them never mind photograph them. Patience, planning and perseverance are vital in order to photograph wild animals. Small subjects like birds, squirrels and reptiles like lizards and snakes are the most popular subjects for natural photography. These are mostly small and fairly fast. Birds are the most commonplace however and can make excellent subjects to photograph without too much difficulty. Again a bit of planning as to how to find these creatures in the right location is vital. Though not many of us get the chance to see wild animals in their natural habitat, especially of a bigger variety, we do have access to them in zoo's and parks. It is possible to take nature images in these circumstances. In this instance the same rules apply; exclude any sign of human interference. Cages and man-made structures should be excluded in photos that are taken in this situation. This photo of a Leopard was actually taken in a zoo. Careful composition has eluded any signs of a cage. Although this photo was taken through a fence, putting the lens in as close to the wire as possible and using a wide aperture has prevented showing its existence.

Natural Landscape Landscape photos can also be classed as Nature images. Photos of the landscape variety usually do quite well in many Nature competitions. Again the main point here is that the landscape should be totally natural. Every day however there is less and less areas of the world that do not have some form of human development or other. When first embarking on the quest for a "natural landscape" one may be forgiven thinking they are easy to come by. Natural landscapes, like other forms of nature photography should exclude any human interference. This means buildings, roads, telephone polls, paths, fences and ideally even farm animals. The best places to find natural landscapes would be National Parks or wildlife preserves. Even in these places however it is quite difficult to exclude man made structures. This photo was taken in Death Valley National Park in California. Locations such as this provide vast natural landscapes. Because great controls are in place to conserve and preserve areas such as this, human elements are usually at a minimum.

Nature and Man One area where "the hand of man" would be acceptable in a nature image is when the "story" of the image is about man's preservation or more commonly, destruction of nature. This would have to be depicted quite clearly in the image though for it to be a success. If one sits down and thinks about it, there is very little in the way of depicting man's preservation of nature in one image. There is unfortunately many ways to capture mans destruction of nature. Most of these images would not be "pretty" pictures but captured correctly can impact on a viewers feelings of disgust and sympathy. Remember that the impact of an image isn't always a pleasant one.