Group photos happen everywhere. From weddings to parties, to sporting events and vacations. Group photos make excellent gifts. There are certain things you can do to get a shot that will be enjoyed for a lifetime. Getting great group photos can be a bit of challenge but following these tips will help your chances.
So many digital cameras these days have unique features that will help you create professional looking photos. But your eye is still the most important piece of equipment. Here are three key elements of a wonderful portrait your friends and family will cherish for years:
1) Watch the Background! With outdoor group portraits, you want to pick a background that makes sense. Do you just what to remember the location? Or the fact that you were all together?
If you do want to include a background. The place where you have your group stand is important because it can give your photo context and meaning. A vacation shot of a group of friends in front of the Grand Canyon or on the beach has more meaning for everyone involved than a shot of them in front of a brick wall.
Watch for tree limbs, utility poles and other objects that may be jutting out from behind someone's head, these generally hurt the portrait by creating awkward forced relationships between the foreground subject (the people) and the the background. These detract from the beauty of the image.
For simple backgrounds though, get close but zoom in. Don't step in towards your subjects, you don't want to distort the faces. Because you use zoom, the more detail you will have in their faces without making shoulders, chins, noses and hands look to big and unflattering. Using telephoto settings is the secret to beautiful portraits. A wide angle lens can easily distort limbs, hands, chins and noses.
Some cameras have a feature that let's you capture a wide panoramic photo automatically. These cameras take really wide shots with a simple sweeping motion by the photographer. It really lets you get a dramatic sense of the location you are shooting. Just be sure to be a sufficient distance away that you avoid the distortion problem mentioned earlier.
2) Study the Light: The best times of day are early morning and late afternoon. But we rarely have that option. So find a spot in the shade where everyone can enjoy nice, even lighting. Failing that, use the fill flash on your camera to eliminate the unwanted shadows. It sometimes help to position your group between you and the sun with the sun in the background but slightly off to the side, using the fill flash setting of your camera. This creates an attractive light in everyone's hair but does not "blow out" the background because the sun is not directly in the background.
However if you are shooting outdoors in low light and you want to keep the mood, just turn the flash off. For some cameras it's easy to get great photos in low light even without a flash. The latest technologies in digital cameras are so sophisticated and forgiving with shadows and bright areas of the image.
3) Get Creative: Get everyone to put their heads together to help create interesting angles. Have fun! Create candid moments by getting the whole group to jump. Capture that moment with a rapid succession of shots. That really helps guarantee you will get just the perfect one.
Another idea that is particularly fun with a family group that has a mix of kids and adults is to have the adults sit on the ground, on a bench, chairs or something interesting and have the kids stand behind the adults. Have them lean on mom and dad or even hug. Again get creative! This creates visual interest by forming the group into one shape.
The group portrait is one of the most common ways to use cameras to record major events in our lives, get togethers and just plain remember a moment in our lives. Follow these simple tips to elevate your snapshots into something more special, that celebrates the relationships and personalities you hold dearest.
Chris Cummins is among the best of Kansas City baby photographers. His studio is thriving because of his love for children and creating wonderful client experiences. His passion is photographing children and capturing their expressions, personalities and family relationships for his client to enjoy forever.
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So many digital cameras these days have unique features that will help you create professional looking photos. But your eye is still the most important piece of equipment. Here are three key elements of a wonderful portrait your friends and family will cherish for years:
1) Watch the Background! With outdoor group portraits, you want to pick a background that makes sense. Do you just what to remember the location? Or the fact that you were all together?
If you do want to include a background. The place where you have your group stand is important because it can give your photo context and meaning. A vacation shot of a group of friends in front of the Grand Canyon or on the beach has more meaning for everyone involved than a shot of them in front of a brick wall.
Watch for tree limbs, utility poles and other objects that may be jutting out from behind someone's head, these generally hurt the portrait by creating awkward forced relationships between the foreground subject (the people) and the the background. These detract from the beauty of the image.
For simple backgrounds though, get close but zoom in. Don't step in towards your subjects, you don't want to distort the faces. Because you use zoom, the more detail you will have in their faces without making shoulders, chins, noses and hands look to big and unflattering. Using telephoto settings is the secret to beautiful portraits. A wide angle lens can easily distort limbs, hands, chins and noses.
Some cameras have a feature that let's you capture a wide panoramic photo automatically. These cameras take really wide shots with a simple sweeping motion by the photographer. It really lets you get a dramatic sense of the location you are shooting. Just be sure to be a sufficient distance away that you avoid the distortion problem mentioned earlier.
2) Study the Light: The best times of day are early morning and late afternoon. But we rarely have that option. So find a spot in the shade where everyone can enjoy nice, even lighting. Failing that, use the fill flash on your camera to eliminate the unwanted shadows. It sometimes help to position your group between you and the sun with the sun in the background but slightly off to the side, using the fill flash setting of your camera. This creates an attractive light in everyone's hair but does not "blow out" the background because the sun is not directly in the background.
However if you are shooting outdoors in low light and you want to keep the mood, just turn the flash off. For some cameras it's easy to get great photos in low light even without a flash. The latest technologies in digital cameras are so sophisticated and forgiving with shadows and bright areas of the image.
3) Get Creative: Get everyone to put their heads together to help create interesting angles. Have fun! Create candid moments by getting the whole group to jump. Capture that moment with a rapid succession of shots. That really helps guarantee you will get just the perfect one.
Another idea that is particularly fun with a family group that has a mix of kids and adults is to have the adults sit on the ground, on a bench, chairs or something interesting and have the kids stand behind the adults. Have them lean on mom and dad or even hug. Again get creative! This creates visual interest by forming the group into one shape.
The group portrait is one of the most common ways to use cameras to record major events in our lives, get togethers and just plain remember a moment in our lives. Follow these simple tips to elevate your snapshots into something more special, that celebrates the relationships and personalities you hold dearest.
Chris Cummins is among the best of Kansas City baby photographers. His studio is thriving because of his love for children and creating wonderful client experiences. His passion is photographing children and capturing their expressions, personalities and family relationships for his client to enjoy forever.
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