A Lesson in Group Photos

All of you probably know how exciting it is to get together with friends and family. It may just be a picnic, a casual get-together, or something as exciting and special as a wedding...all these events can lead to fun conversation and catching up with dear ones.

Taking a group photo at these events may be an important part of your fun festivities. You can get a photo of the girls together...then the parents...then two of the group that are close in age and special friends...the list could go on with many possibilities to capture the events and people who are there.

Let me offer five short tips on how to make your photos the best they can be...there are probably many more ways to ensure the perfect picture, but these are some that can be applied easily. Let's get started.

Tip 1 - If you are shooting a photo of a group outside, make sure that the sun does not interfere with your photo. If it is very sunny outside, position your subjects under a tree or in the shade of some object to shade the sun. Sunny pictures tend to look amateur and the subjects may have a hard time looking natural. I have a hard time not squinting when I face the sun for a picture...Avoid dappled sunlight over the people too, as this could tend to mess up a perfectly great shot by casting strange shadows.

Tip 2 - When arranging a large group, you will obviously need to be sure that you can see every one's face. Put tall people in the back and shorter up front. If this fails, try seating the tall people and having the shorter folks stand behind them.

Tip 3 - When taking a picture inside, always have the subjects face the light source. If the light source is from above then have them step back to where the light will come down from above and in front of them. I ruined a perfectly good shot of my cousin and his bride at their wedding because I didn't really notice that the light was coming from above and behind them...this created shadows on their faces and very bright light elsewhere. Try to avoid this!

Tip 4 - Sometimes people have their "photo smiles" all ready when you get out the camera and turn it on. Meaning that they smile, but it isn't their natural smile. To remedy this, use the old photographer's trick and tell them to say something funny. Don't use the classic, "Cheese!" unless you have to. :) I have used this trick recently to great advantage - try it out!

Tip 5 -  "Take lots of shots..." let this be your motto when getting pictures at an event! You'll be glad that you got them and you'll have many to choose from!

I hope this helps you take better pictures of your friends and loved ones...please let me know what you think.