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03-14-2015, 06:27 AM - 1 Like   #1
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200+ person group shots
Lens: Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 Camera: Pentax K-5ii Photo Location: Singapore, Block 71 ISO: 800 Shutter Speed: 1/180s Aperture: F5.6 

Today, I had my first large group photo session of 200+ people. My past has been with about 30+ and found it reasonably manageable. However, I had no assistants and no backups shooting with me this afternoon. Talk about a suddenly stressful situation.

I originally was going for a straight on which worked, but with a sudden influx of more people I had to go higher up and cockeyed to get everyone in. At that point, already with some folks waiting nearly 10 minutes in the Singapore 31º or so weather, they weren't very open to suggestions for moving this way or that. As such, you get a result like attached for original plus balancing, then straightening and cropping.

Any tips for better managing these kind of situations from guiding people to equipment usage. I was figuring on about 150+ people and my 18-35mm being fine, but I ended up having to hit a 3rd floor landing to get most everyone in. Further, I was having to holler to move people around for a reasonable effect.

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03-14-2015, 09:53 AM   #2
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Amazing shot. Everyone is looking at the camera. Congratulations!
03-17-2015, 04:54 AM   #3
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Thank you for the compliments. Oh, getting people to look at the camera and do something isn't really the trouble. I can do that without much effort. It's the getting folks to move or position themselves on a grand scale I'm looking for ideas on.

I'm considering laying police tape on the ground next time. Also, I realized that when I go full frame later this year, the 18-35 will "widen" up and getting everyone in the way I wanted would work out.
03-17-2015, 05:14 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by comprock Quote
Thank you for the compliments. Oh, getting people to look at the camera and do something isn't really the trouble. I can do that without much effort. It's the getting folks to move or position themselves on a grand scale I'm looking for ideas on.

I'm considering laying police tape on the ground next time. Also, I realized that when I go full frame later this year, the 18-35 will "widen" up and getting everyone in the way I wanted would work out.
The 18-135 will be cropped on full frame so you won't necessarily get in any more real estate.
Perhaps a DA 15 on your current body would be advisable.

03-18-2015, 05:15 PM   #5
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I'm shooting the Sigma 18-35 f.18. As such, I think full frame cropping shouldn't be an issue. Correct?

Still, I'm considering the 12-24 and 15 as potential crowd shooters.

QuoteOriginally posted by crewl1 Quote
The 18-135 will be cropped on full frame so you won't necessarily get in any more real estate.
Perhaps a DA 15 on your current body would be advisable.


---------- Post added Mar 18th, 2015 at 19:17 ----------

In more nice comments from folks in the crowd, they felt I did a good job of getting their outline to look like Singapore since we were shooting in Singapore. Other's felt it was more Australia shaped. :P

E.g. https://twitter.com/akiestar/status/577776715847471104
06-19-2015, 01:47 PM   #6
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To follow up DPS recently published How to Pose Groups for Portrait Photography - Digital Photography School. Some great and very helpful tips. The author is taking a different tack than what I did, but I feel it's worth trying out.

She goes 100mm+ and f5.6 while I was 18mm and f8.0.
06-21-2015, 06:40 PM   #7
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Hm, I have to shoot a group of people of about 100-150 here in a few weeks and will have to pretty often. I have the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8. It looks like you have a lot more than just 200 people, more like 300-350. I'm not very good at estimating so I might be wrong. Do you think the 17mm end will be wide enough to get everyone in? They will mostly be organized and not just scattered around, so they'll be in rows and columns. It's going to be indoors so getting up on a building isn't an option.

06-22-2015, 11:54 AM   #8
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Welcome to the forums @matt_lin18.

The FOSSASIA shots above are via a Pentax K-5 ii and Sigma 18-35 f/1.8. Your Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 should be okay. Your 100-150 people will be more doable than my 250 and you'll probably not have to get up to the 3rd floor and shot downward. Still, figure on being at least 10-15 meters away.

Given the above, with it being an inside shoot, are you talking about everyone being on the same level? This includes you the shooter.

From my own group shoot research and experience, if everyone is on the same level or even if there's a stage rake involved, the photographer should be getting vertical. This means bring a step ladder, a 6-foot ladder, or stand on a desk to get some elevation. I don't recommend standing on chairs. I'm a big guy and find them too often wobbly and not tall enough for large group shots.

For placing your large group, consider having yellow Do Not Cross tape or surveyors tape laying on the ground to indicate where people should stand within. This also means scoping out your group area in advance of the event if possible. Day before helps so you can grab needed stuff from the store than panicking.

While scoping out the group photo site, take into consideration lighting as well.

What'd I miss?
06-22-2015, 02:29 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by comprock Quote
Welcome to the forums @matt_lin18.

The FOSSASIA shots above are via a Pentax K-5 ii and Sigma 18-35 f/1.8. Your Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 should be okay. Your 100-150 people will be more doable than my 250 and you'll probably not have to get up to the 3rd floor and shot downward. Still, figure on being at least 10-15 meters away.

Given the above, with it being an inside shoot, are you talking about everyone being on the same level? This includes you the shooter.

From my own group shoot research and experience, if everyone is on the same level or even if there's a stage rake involved, the photographer should be getting vertical. This means bring a step ladder, a 6-foot ladder, or stand on a desk to get some elevation. I don't recommend standing on chairs. I'm a big guy and find them too often wobbly and not tall enough for large group shots.

For placing your large group, consider having yellow Do Not Cross tape or surveyors tape laying on the ground to indicate where people should stand within. This also means scoping out your group area in advance of the event if possible. Day before helps so you can grab needed stuff from the store than panicking.

While scoping out the group photo site, take into consideration lighting as well.

What'd I miss?
The group would be stacked, sometimes we'll have like a stage type thing with multiple levels. Or we'll have like the front row squat/sit, middle row crouch a bit and the back row stand, or maybe organize people by height. But they won't be all crowded in a clump. I will be on the same level, most elevation I might have is a chair or something similar.

These are casual shots and they're not terribly serious. So there's no need to get too serious and start putting tape down and everything. They're in public environments so I won't be putting tape down on sidewalks for every group shot we take. Just impromptu shots, usually to post to social media.

They've always been done in the past with iPhones with some squeezing and reordering around. and they managed so I should be fine with my 17mm. I read that the iPhone 5S camera has a lens equivalent of 33mm. So 17mm on my APS-C sensor would be about 26mm.
06-22-2015, 02:46 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by comprock Quote
Australia shaped
Ewww!
06-22-2015, 08:39 PM   #11
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I am pretty sure sigma 18-35 1.8 is only aps-c not full frame.
That shot would over whelp me.
06-28-2015, 05:32 AM   #12
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@swanlefitte, Yes the Siga 18-35 f/1.8 is APS-C, not full frame. It's comparable 35mm focal length is 27 - 52.5 mm. As long as you get some distance, the bottom end is good enough.
06-28-2015, 06:58 AM   #13
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I have been following this thread as just coincidentally did one of these for a K-6 primary school campus a couple of weeks ago. Lots of good tips from the previous posters.
About 300 plus adults and young people. Used Sigma 8-16. It was outside beneath school name sign. I backed my wagon up and stood on the tailgate so camera was about 2.5m up.
Shoot was at about 11.00am.
I had previously framed shot and made an arc on the ground that everyone had to sit behind. Kids had mats to sit on in class groups. Youngest classes towards front, bigger kids further back. Staff and teachers stood in an arc behind.
With that lens the closest child was only meter or so in front of my wagon.
No not all kids were looking at me despite the dozen or so frames. Kids are kids.
The arc meant bottom left and right corners were people free so distortion was minimal.
Would post pic but can't for all sorts of privacy reasons. Small version of pic will go on school website eventually so will come back and put a link up when that happens in a few days.
06-28-2015, 07:19 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Arjay Bee Quote
Kids are kids.
So, sometimes, are grown-ups--ever shot a high school reunion?
06-29-2015, 04:58 AM   #15
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No kidding about getting folks pointed in the same direction at the same time. My additional tricks for gathering attention is saying stupid stuff or incorporating physical interactiveness like jazz hands or finger pointing or kicks. Good luck to all the group shooters.
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