Photographing people in groups is a challenge especially when shooting young children. Understanding the dynamics and a few fundamental steps will assist in shooting group shots of quality. Every one is unique so there is always a challenge. These keys will show you just how easy it is to take a great image.
I am always hesitant to shoot large groups of people for the basic reason that it’s difficult to get everyone doing the same thing at the same time. So, I prefer to shoot a large group divided into smaller, more intimate groups. This has great advantages and enables you to see more of the people in the image instead of tiny faces scattered across the photo.
Here are some keys to shooting quality images.
1. Small is better
As I have just said it’s important to have less people with more of the people in the image. Groups are shot for memories. You want to remember the event and people. Rather have two groups of three of four than a large group of eight. Smaller groups are easier to direct and placing the subjects is far more simple.
2. Planning a shot is essential
Planning is key to any good photo shoot. Become a director like in the movies. Don’t just let people stand where they want to. Move the people around and create a more interesting scene. Be creative and go beyond tall people at the back and short to the front. Group others around the most important person in the image. Know where you want each person to stand in relation to the whole group.
3. Good location is vital
Where you take the shot is very important. Of course there are times where you are limited as to where you can shoot. But always be aware of your backgrounds and the edges of your image. You don’t want elements in the photo that distract from the main subjects but you do want something that will help the group stand out from their background without any distractions. Sometimes it’s great to place the group in their context, for example, a surfing team needs something at the beach and not a wooden fence.
4. Get in close
This principle ties in with our first point. You want to get in close to the group which is why you don’t want it too large. The closer you are the more detail you’ll see in their faces. If the group is large try to get them to get their heads closer together. Excluding body parts is fine but nobody wants to see half a head. Again, you are creating memories not just a record of an event. As the old adage goes, less is more. Fewer people but more detail.
5. Use the multiple shot feature on your camera
This is especially useful when taking shots of small groups but absolutely essential when shooting large groups. Taking multiple shots makes it easier to get the shot as there might only be fractions of a second when everyone is looking at the camera and not blinking. By shooting on continuous mode you’ll pick up dynamics in the group which you may not usually find in a single calculated photo.
6. Be happy
There is nothing worse in a group photo situation than a tired and grumpy old photographer. Be happy even if you don’t feel like it. People feed off the energy of others and a smile or a laugh can be contagious. A smile will most times relax your subjects and make them feel happier. Engage them, tell jokes and above all find ways to relax them. If you are not in a great mood don’t do the photo shoot.
No group is the same as the next even when you’re shooting class after class at the local school. Every group has its own dynamic. What drives it. So find this out and milk it for all its worth. Shooting groups can be a lot of fun if you take the time to get into their world and engage them. Remember that practice makes perfect and the more you do it the better you will become. Happy shooting!
Google Docs has released some great new changes to the document, spreadsheet, and presentation editors. There are more options for collaboration, including a live update feature so you can see, in real time, what edits others are making to your document. There are new view options, which allow you tab on a ruler for your documents. To see other new improvements check out the following video:
Sure, all the news this week has been about Apple’s new iPad. Great technology, cool look and feel, but does it answer the ultimate question – Will it Blend?
As a loyal subscriber to Kim Komando’s Cool Site of the Day, I found a great link to this site the other day – Citrify.com. This is a free online photo editor that has some pretty amazing tools. There are tools to whiten teeth, remove shine or glare from faces, take away zits, and more.
I played around with a feature called Hulkify and results were scary. Check it out.
As the weather starts to warm up, here’s a fun technology you may enjoy in the sun. GPS technology combines curriculum elements from Math, Science, PE, Geography, and more to engage teachers and students in an outdoor problem solving activity called Geocaching.
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.
Take advantage of the warmer temps and go find a cache.
A couple of days ago I came across some information for USFirst.org and the Utah First Lego League. This is an amazing organization which promotes students using math, science, and engineering skills to design robots for a competition. The organization promotes teamwork, research, and problem solving. For high school groups the regional competition for the robots will be held on March. 19 -20 at the Huntsman Center on the University of Utah campus. Take a sneak peak at some of the action:
On Tuesday February 2nd, Frontline is exploring what life is like in the digital world. This should be a must watch as we look at the digital natives and what we can do to keep up. Take a sneak peak:
All the talk right now is about Apple’s big announcement for their new tablet computing device. If you haven’t heard much about this yet, it will basically look like an iPod Touch but quite a bit larger. It will have a wireless 3G connection, like an iPhone – giving the user constant Internet access. Just like the iPhone and iPod Touch you’ll have access to the App Store, providing students with a wide array of educational applications (as well as a bunch of fun games!). Here’s a demo of what a tablet would look like for a magazine – say Sports Illustrated.
Google Chrome isn’t new. It’s actually been out for a while. What is new is there’s now a Mac version of the browser. I’ve been playing with it for the past couple of days and really like the speed of downloading. Pages come up very quickly in this browser. Also, there are some cool security features, including incognito mode – where no private data is cached (like your passwords or account info).
Like everything Google, it has some great searching features. The primary address bar also serves as a Google search bar, simply type in the term and your Google search results show up.
Is Google Chrome going to become my primary browser? Not sure yet. But I can definitely say it worth a look…
May 26, 2010 
Photographing people in groups is a challenge especially when shooting young children. Understanding the dynamics and a few fundamental steps will assist in shooting group shots of quality. Every one is unique so there is always a challenge. These keys will show you just how easy it is to take a great image.
Posted in Digital Photos, Jared, photography skills 
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