The more faces you put inside a photo, the harder the shot becomes. More faces means more people to pose. More blinks. More time. And more people to please. While group photos may be tough, a good challenge can also be incredibly rewarding, especially when the result is a great family or team photo. Ready to master the group shot? Here are five essential group photography tips to get you started.
Set up in full shade.
Groups are challenging enough without tossing challenging lighting in the mix. Soft, even lighting is flattering and great for groups. Set your group up in the shade, but make sure that the shade is large enough to get everyone in completely. It’s also helpful to set up so that the background is also in the shade. If you’re comfortable with manual flash, turn on a low powered flash with a diffuser to add a bit more punch (and some catchlights).
Use a narrow aperture.
Often, it’s impossible to get everyone in a group shot the same distance from the camera. That means if you use a wide open aperture, the people in the back rows will be out of focus. When shooting groups, using a narrow aperture is essential. Use manual mode or aperture priority mode with an aperture of at least f/8.
Think angles.
How do you pose a big group? There’s a lot that goes into posing, which multiplies the more people you add to the shot. Tips for individuals — like creating angles with the arms and legs and checking for double chins — still apply. But, with large groups, it’s best to create angles with their faces, instead of shooting everyone in a straight line. For example, try posing everyone so that their faces create a triangle.
Use burst mode.
You have everything set up perfectly and everyone is smiling — but then you get back home and someone is blinking. Always take more photos than you think you need when shooting groups, so it’s easy to eliminate the blinks. A simple way to do that is to turn on your camera’s burst mode to take a few photos in quick succession.
Work quickly — then relax!
When you are shooting a group photo, you have a lot of people waiting on you, yet group photos tend to take much more time than shooting single portraits. Try to work as quickly as possible when working with groups — don’t be afraid to speak up to get everyone arranged quickly. Don’t take it too far though; people can sense when you are tense — and then they’ll be tense in the photos! Work quickly, but relax and try to throw in a few jokes to keep the mode light.
Group photos pose a big challenge for photographers — but with a few group photo tips, you can increase your changes of getting a shot where everyone looks great. Set up in the shade, keep it sharp with a narrow aperture, create angles in your posing, take multiple shots, work quickly and keep the mood light. Happy shooting!
