Group Photos Advice

[jriggs]

Thanks to being a half way decent guy with a camera, the girlfriend has volunteered me to take family group photos this weekend at her grandfathers birthday party. They are a very large Irish family so I expect the photos to either be forgotten or amazing due to everyone being "overly excited". Head shots, modeling shots, cars, small groups, etc don't worry me. Big families with an open bar well yeah just a LITTLE paranoid.

For lighting I'm tossing 4 sb600s some stands and modifiers and such in the trunk. I figure one high center, one right/left and use the fourth for a back light to get some separation between them and the background. Of course the should work if we are inside for the photos and is probably a bit over kill. Outside in day light the sb's just will not have enough power.


Anyone have any advice on large groups other than "look at the birdy" and "cheese"?



Gear if it matters that i'm planning on taking with me
-D7000, D300
-100mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8, 11-16mm 2.8, might as well grab the old 18-55 too. I have a few other pieces of glass but i think that covers plenty of range already.
-4 of my sb600s few light modifiers and stands for all of em.

Thanks guys
-Riggs

[The Chimichunga]

If you're shooting inside, make sure the lights are a fairly good distance away from the family. If you have it too close to one side or the other, the fall off will be so much that half of the family will be completely underexposed.

Check this video out to see what I'm talking about:

[8600RPM]

Here is the only advice I got,

1. Balance the group, and spend the time to get it right because it's a pain to move someone later in post. They'll be impatient, but it's worth it in the end.

2. Blinking, in a large group someone is always blinking lol. To avoid this have everyone shut their eyes til your 3 count, this way it's awhile before anyone has to blink.

[Jake2k]

What kind of location will you be shooting at and exactly how big is the group? Personally with a big group I would try to use the sun to light em, maybe find some shade so that the light isnt so harsh and if your still getting a few bad shadows here and there use your speedlights to kill em off. If you do use the sun make sure that the group isnt facing direct sunlight or else everyone will be squinting.

[jriggs]

Thanks guys, ended up just shooting during the party a little, inside a country club at night. Everyone had to much libations for a group photo, but i cheated toss the iso up, handed off the camera to a waiter, and call it done. I had set up the sb's around the room on stands to give fun lighting for candid shots, and toasted the batteries by the end of the night, and really didn't want to think about it by then to set them up lol. It was just too many people (about 100) and the group photo ended up being back of the priority list at the end of the evening.