How To Take Group Photos
Join us for an interactive live show all about group photography! Learn the secrets to capturing perfect group shots, whether it's with family, friends, or colleagues. From posing techniques to composition tips, we'll cover everything you need to know to create memorable group photos.
Tune in for practical demonstrations, expert advice and the chance to ask your questions live.
Comments
Hi karl! This is my first question to you, being that I’m pretty new here, so I constantly find all my answers in your phenomenal videos! thank you!
I wonder regarding group shots, I started doing wedding photography, changing the type of lighting setups throughout. One for portraiture, another for receptions, and something different for meal and dancing. Usually meal and dancing I consider global illumination,(4 lights at all corners) as I need light all over. But, when I decide to do a very large group shot next to the flowers at this setup, I pose a problem. Still trying to figure out how to get more light towards the faces evenly in such cases when global illumination won’t suffice.
Should I bring in an umbrella, and where? (I can’t use more then one for multiple reasons) or should I bounce an off the ceiling light somewhere in front of the group?
Thanks so much! you’re amazing…
Hi Zeng, glad you like the videos! I believe nearly all of your questions in this comment are actually covered in this video?
Yes, the video was actually very clear and well explained! I think my question, maybe wasn’t 😉, because I was trying to cut the length of it…
I was trying to ask if for example; while the dancing takes place and I have my 4 light setup, (in all corners, kind of a global illumination), plus an on camera flash. Although it works well for the dancing, when I decide to take a group shot at this setup at one side of the hall (because that’s when a group of friends arrived, although portraits were taken earlier), The faces of the group is quite dark.
So after watching this video, I figured that I should introduce some more light towards the group.
So here’s my question(hopefully now a bit more clear);
Will a bounce of light right behind me or off the ceiling do the trick? Or do I need some directional umbrella lighting to make this work? (which is pretty complicated to maneuver while the dancing takes place)
As I see in this video, it was directional light with a modifier, versus a bounce of light off a wall. So, I wonder if that’ll work in my case, when an umbrella is a technical issue.
Thanks for taking every question seriously!!
Your professional advice is priceless!!…
Hi Zeng, without seeing the room and the resulting shot it is almost impossible for me to offer advice but I can tell you the simple physics. Yes a direct light on the group of course is going to add more light but depending on the size of the group and the direction and width of your lighting you may encounter the problems of shadows from one person falling onto the next. The best way to avoid this is to place your lighting higher and downwards at the group. The other option of bouncing light into the room, either walls or ceiling behind and above you depends on the following factors, 1. How powerful are your lights, are they powerful enough to bounce off of distant walls. and 2. Are the walls and ceiling very far away, are they white, will they bounce light back in the right direction? If you can bounce light then that can give you a good base lighting but like demonstrated in this live show you still often need some directional front/above lighting to add a bit of sparkle.
Every place will definitely be quite different… So helping me understand it right, makes all the difference in finding the right spots for my lights . .! Thank you, Karl!
Hi Karl and Team, thoroughly enjoyed this live, very informative and lots to take away and practice with, thank you as always 🙏
Thank you much appreciated.
Great live show Karl as always. Wish you’d have done this a few weeks ago before I had to do some group shots. My only issue I have is that your false ceiling looks to be over 3 meters high which is not the case with most, if not all of the office spaces I have shot in. Also your central light looked like it was positioned higher than the ceiling which is not possible in a real world environment. Is there any advice you can give when faced with a normal ceiling hight of around 2.5 meters, which means that the max height you can get the centre of your umbrella (and strobe) is around 2 meters? Especially when you are having to shoot group shots of people stood and not seated.
Hi, thank you for you comments and I’m glad you enjoyed the show. If I only had a 2.5m ceiling then I would aim a few lights at the ceiling with a standard reflector (like the P70’s I use) and then create a big broad light that was coming from the ceiling itself.