PORTRAIT AND CANDID PHOTOGRAPHY: PHOTO WORKSHOP

Chapter 6. FAMILIES, GROUPS, AND PARTIES

• Prepare Yourself

• Direct and Position the Group

• Candids

• Get Creative

• optimize Your Equipment for Group Settings

Whether you're celebrating a birthday, gathering for a family reunion, or documenting a child's sports team, photographing groups requires specific preparation and a particular approach to create a successful image.

A different dynamic is present when more than one person is in front of the lens. A good photo captures the relationship between people in the image. Your preparation, communication, composition, and attention to light are important and include some of the same considerations as a single portrait; however, and there are additional things to think about too.

PREPARE YOURSELF

Having the luxury of planning a formal group photo session before it happens gives you more control over the outcome than taking photographs as a camera-toting party guest; however, they both require preparation prior to snapping the shutter button.

For large occasions, people may hire professional photographers and ask you to come in and shoot the candid shots; at smaller functions, you may wind up doing a bit of both. If there is a professional photographer at the event, you should be aware of photographer etiquette.

Do not follow the professional photographer to his formal portrait setting and start taking pictures over his shoulder. It can distract the group ...