Crowd Control
Monday, October 12th 2009 @ 10:02 AM (not yet rated)
Photographing a crowd can be a challenge. The key is placement of the subjects, and correct camera settings. Oh, and then you need to get them all to smile at the same time, without blinking or looking away or grimacing or… Piece of cake, right?
Let’s start with camera settings. I always set my aperture to at least F11. This is to make sure that everyone is in focus. It’s not good if the people in the back or on the sides get blurry. Generally, this means you need to either make sure you have a strong light source, or you need to adjust your ISO settings.
Next, let’s talk about placement. This is where you have to really take charge. You, and only you, can see if everyone’s face is fully visible to the camera. Be bold! “You sir, in the green shirt. I can’t see your face. I know you’re trying to hide in the back row there, but it isn’t going to work…” I adopt a light-hearted tone, and people are always willing to work with me.
It’s just like it was in grade school. The tallest people need to be in the back, and the shortest in the front. For family portraits, I like to bring a bench or chairs, so that everyone isn’t standing. It makes it easier to group people, too. Be creative!
People need to be close, close, close. Have them stand sideways and squeeze in beyond their comfort level. You want them to squeeze front-to-back distance, too. Bring that back row as close as possible! I always ask the back row to lean forward, so that they look like they’re in the same photograph as everyone else.
Angle the people on the ends in toward the camera. Make a nice arc, so that everyone in a row is equidistant from the camera. We often forget to do this, and it’s a common cause for fuzzy faces on the ends.
Take 3-6 shots of every pose, to minimize blinks, etc.
Well, there’s a start. Go photograph some groups and post them so we can see how it turned out!
