Getting all the Group in Group Photos
The gang’s all here! Weddings, Family Reunions, Birthdays, are all great excuses to get big groups of people together that may not otherwise be all in one place at one time. What better way to commemorate these notable events than with some photos. But, with all these people, how do we get everyone in one photo where we can see everyone’s faces and still make it look like we know each other?
Get in Close
You all like each other enough to show up to the same place at the same time. Savor these moments by getting close to one another and get close to the camera. Don’t be afraid to lean in a little (especially you in front) so everyone’s happy faces can be seen.
Get in Even Closer
I have got to be honest here, there is only so far that I can direct you to “get close to one another.” I may learn from other photo shoots your specific level of comfort when I say hug the person next to you. But during big events like these, I may not know how comfortable the rest of the group is. Don’t be afraid to take the reins and tell your family to hug it out.
Get Away From the Line-Up Shot
Once you hit six or seven people stop lining up and start layering up. Eight people may not seem like a large group, but it is a start. These smaller large groups tend to throw people for a loop. Your first tendency may be to stand in a line. Ignore that instinct and create layers of people instead.
Get on Another Level
If you are up for it, use the ground to your advantage. Throw chairs in there and you have more view points of people than you will know what to do with. Especially if little kids are involved, getting closer to the ground, and them will make for a warmer family photo so there is not the large gap between the 3′ three-year-old and the 5’7″ adult.
Get Your Photographer on Another Level and Get Crazy
If it is possible, I like to get above the crowd for a good photo. Access to a ladder is great, but access to a chair will do as long as it won’t fold or roll out from under me. Having the photographer at a higher line of site angling the camera down at a large group helps get all the faces in even if there are some people at the same height in a different line.
Also note, we have people on the floor, people on chairs, we rounded out the group so more people were close to the camera, and not everyone may be looking at the camera, but the purpose of the pose was to look excited. We were celebrating a 100 year birthday party! So, let’s look excited!