Tips you must use for group portrait photography

Whether you are an amateur or a professional photographer, if you have a good camera, you will often be asked to take group photos, such as family gatherings, employee travel group photos, student graduation group photos, etc. Since there are more subjects in group portrait photography, some small details during shooting will be different from shooting single portraits. Let’s take a look at what techniques you need to master in order to take a group photo that satisfies everyone.

1. Small aperture and continuous shooting mode

When taking a group photo of many people, in order to ensure that everyone’s face is clear and sharp, don’t forget to narrow the aperture. You can try using F8- Shoot within 13 seconds, otherwise if the aperture is too wide, some people’s faces may be blurred.

Next, it is recommended to use the continuous shooting mode, because when there are many people, it is inevitable that you will encounter blinking, poor movement, or weird facial expressions, etc. Therefore, you can take several photos in a row and select the perfect one after the shooting is completed. As a result, if unfortunately it is not "the most perfect", then at least there are "materials" that can be used to spell the "most perfect"!

2. Pay attention to the height difference between the characters

Although the composition of everyone standing in a row is not bad, if there is a height difference, it can make the picture more layered.

This is the most basic composition method in group portrait photography, especially when taking family portraits. If you find that the children are about the same height and the parents are much taller, you might as well try the standing posture in the picture above. Make the shooting effect look more natural and relaxed.

Locations such as stairs and slopes are a good choice for group photography with similar heights.

When the height difference between the subjects is not big, if you can stand on steps, slopes and other places with different levels, you can certainly achieve the effect more easily. If you are shooting while standing on the ground, if necessary, ask the people in the front row to squat or squat down so that the tall people standing behind can also show their complete faces.

Before pressing the shutter, it is best to scan again to see if everyone’s faces are visible.

3. Let the subjects express themselves naturally

Sometimes more casual and relaxed activities can make everyone's expression more natural.

If the group photo standing in rows feels dull, a natural and open composition is certainly a good choice, but this will test the photographer’s guidance ability. If you meet subjects who like to try different shooting styles, the photographer can use all his imagination, break away from the traditional shackles, and set up settings that allow everyone to run towards the camera together, jump energetically at the beach, walk home together after school, Scenarios such as group meetings and brainstorming.

4. Pay attention to the light

In the light part, if you shoot outdoors, it is best to avoid shooting in a very strong sunlight environment. On the one hand, it is easy to leave unsightly marks on people’s faces. Natural shadows. On the other hand, when the temperature is high, it is easy for the subject to feel tired or suffer from heatstroke.

When shooting indoors, inexperienced friends may choose to set up a studio light, but this often results in the person closest to the light being too bright and the person farthest from the light being too dark. There are also some novices who will place the light too close to the subject, causing someone's shadow to be reflected on the person next door. When taking indoor group portraits, if you want to use a studio light, please use more than one to ensure that the amount of light is even on all people. Furthermore, the position of the studio light should be placed close to the camera, keeping a certain distance from the subject.

5. Make everyone look "familiar"

If the distance between people is too large, sometimes the picture will look loose.

When taking group photos, the most common situation is "not being intimate". The situation may be better in family photos, but this "awkward" feeling often occurs when taking group photos of companies, units or students. At the beginning, everyone stood together and inevitably stood far apart, making the scene look very loose and without a sense of teamwork at all. When encountering such a situation, as a photographer, you need to open your mouth and coordinate. If you have enough time, you may be able to reduce the awkwardness between the subjects through some simple group games before shooting.

6. Show the photographer’s confidence and professionalism

When many people gather together to take pictures, it is normal for a chaotic scene to occur. At this time, the photographer should use a professional vision to take photos. Use your confidence to control the scene, tell everyone how and where to stand, who wants to change places with whom, who wants to move forward, etc., guide everyone into the shooting state, and save them time to argue.

7. Use triangular composition techniques

Triangular composition is a good composition method in both photography and painting.

Triangular composition is a commonly used composition principle in photography and painting composition. It is not only useful for photographing objects, but also very practical for group portraits. Using people's faces to create a triangular composition or using people's standing postures to create a triangular formation are both structures that can be used as a reference.

8. The liveliness of the pinching movements

Sometimes movements that are too intense or inappropriate for children may cause the characters to have strange facial expressions.

When taking group portraits, trying some more dynamic poses can indeed make the photos look more lively. However, while pursuing natural dynamics, don’t forget to consider safety factors, especially when the subjects are photographed. When there are children. If some actions are difficult for children, not only may it cause strange visual effects (the child's expression will be very uncomfortable, etc.), but there may even be a risk of injury.