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Group photo
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Hay i have been asked to take a family photo out doors , any tips like when is the best time of the day to take the photo
Hi Patrick,
I’m no expert on group photography but most of the people
I see doing it seem to use flash.You don’t need the sun behind you either, specially if it is low, or
everybody might be squinting in the final image.You need to make good preparations such as the locations and the
way you position your group.A tripod is probably a good idea as you can leave your camera set
up if you have to approach the group to make adjustments.Being in good humour yourself will probably help your subjects to relax.
You can find all sorts of info on the net. For example I found this list of
tips by googling “Tips for group photography”
http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-take-great-group-photosI hope this has been of some help as I didn’t like to leave your request with no reply.
Best of luck and ask again if you need further help.
John.
I’m no expert either but I think it’s not so important on a dull day. Just dont soot at dawn or dusk as our eyes adjust to the changing light conditions but the cammera doesn’t and will register the colours differently. Is the location set already? If so does it face North Southm etc? If it is a bright sunny day this will impact the shadows in the shot.
As John said a lot of people use fill-in flash (careful as this can throw shadows too), but this would depend on your set-up.Hope this helps
Sean
I find it best to take group shots shooting into the sun, find a spot with a dark background if you can, ie you face the sun with a tree line in front of you and then block any flare with your hand if necessary. Nothing worse than people squinting into the sun plus you can then use the sun as the equivalent of a studio-like hairlight.
Use a good long lens, dont go for a wide angle from 8ft away, use a zoom or prime at least 70mm and move way back. People will be a little more relaxed that way since you’re not in their face and it compresses facial features etc.
If they are standing in a line, try putting the parents in the middle and each sibling turned in a little towards them on each side with partners etc. arranged into family groups. Avoid having people standing square on to the camera, angle their pose 45 degrees or so towards the centre of the frame, don’t have them all angled the same direction across the line or they will look like a bus queue. Keep young children in front and never have them at the edge, they should look protected by the family, not on the fringes. Same goes for the frail or wheelchair bound, they should look included and involved and not tacked on at the side.
You should only see one hand from each person and for men it’s easier to have them put a hand into their pocket to avoid awkward hand and finger positions. Then ask everyone to shift all their weight onto their back leg and make themselves comfortable.Above all, act composed and in control at all times even if you don’t feel it, it may just be your family but if people feel unsure about what you are trying to achieve or are confused by your directions it will show on their faces and posture, the golden rule for portaits is expression, expression, expression. Speak in a friendly way and make any directions sound like helpful tips not commands from a photo-dictator!
You could then look at things like correct head tilt for men and women but keep in mind that the more you make demands on people the stiffer they can become but as a general guide, mens heads should tilt away from the higher shoulder to look masculine and womens in towards the higher shoulder (but either way can work well for women, not so much for men!)
If people are sitting, get them to sit on the edge, not flopped back into the chair, arrange the seated and standing so their heads do not form a line, ie. place one person seated with another leaning over them with head above the seated person, and perhaps someone standing full length on the other side.
Good luck!
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