how to photograph a group of 90 people

<p>i have been contacted to photograph an event where 90 people of the class want to be photographed together. what would be the proper approach to doing this? i have a sigma 10-20mm and a Nikon 35mm shooting with a d90 and two alien bee 800 and two Nikon sb800. that's the equipment i plan to take with me that day. i could use a ladder and take the photo from far away. but what is the ideal way to this, should i take it in small groups and photoshop to make one? or take a panoramic photo? please advise the ideal way to do this.</p>

<p>If possible get up above the group, have them cluster close and look up. At the end of the day it's all about the faces and recognition of who was there.</p>

<p>The easiest is as Art says--look down on the group, but just a ladder won't do--you have to be pretty high up, at least one average floor's height. You want even light so if outside, even shade, and not contrasty sunlight/shadow. If inside, as even light as you can get--either direct flash (not as good) or bounced flash off a suitable ceiling. Or add off camera flash.</p>

<p>Otherwise, your options are not great for 90 people. You might want to read the following, including the thread I linked to.</p>

<p><a href="00XQiY">http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00XQiY</a></p>

<p>There is no best way to do this. Lots of factors make that variable.</p>

<p>Firstly, the lens choice would be better if around the 40mm-50mm equiv. So, that will require a fair distance to get everyone in. Using the D90, you would probably need to use the 20mm end of the Sig. I would leave a little room at the edges for cropping and to avoid distortions. F8-f11 seems to be adequate for that FL and sensor. If you use rows, you can do 25-27 wide in the seated on the ground/front row, 23+/- in the second and so forth for another couple of rows. You will need a row of seats to do this and set your lights pretty high (9') facing slightly down ward. For that setup, the light should probably be around 20' apart with you in the middle. Camera height of around 5' IMO. I don't like being too much higher than the floor seated row. I imagine you will need iso 400 to get enough aperture and SS combo. </p>

<p>You could do smaller groups and blend them in PS, but I would try to get a single image solution. Take several shots to be sure to get all eyes and faces to the camera.</p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

I just did a real estate company photo shoot. I used a hill near the building. Taper the people down the hill. Do your best to make sure you see everyone's heads. Bring a ladder, get up as high as possible. Leave the 10-20mm home, because people on the sides will look distorted. Shade is your best chance of even lighting, so try to photograph the group when shade is your friend. Your 35mm lens would be a good choice.

 

Whe you are on the ladder, sometimes you can get disoriented as you look through the camera. Make sure you don't fall.

<p>Where is this photo going to take place? At what time of day?</p>

<p>Is it inside or outside? If inside, what kind of existing lighting is available? Are there white or neutral ceilings, and how high are they? Is there a high vantage point to shoot from?</p>

<p>What is expected of the final outcome? How big of a print? I ask because 90 people become individually quite small in an 8X10 print. </p>

<p>Here's tip: get someone that's not in the photo to act as a "wrangler" and to help you arrange the people when shooting from a high vantage point. </p>

<p>If the Sigma 10-20 lens is a D type lens then it'll probably be to wide and distorted. If forced to use it, try to avoid placing heavier people at the ends.</p>

<p>The challenge you may face is the need to shoot at the lowest ISO possible to avoid noise when enlarging ... and this may strain the lighting you have which is pretty weak for a group this large requiring stopping down to keep it all in focus front to back ... even weaker if you bounce it off a ceiling. If indoors, and you drag the shutter, the lighting temps will vary greatly between the ambient lighting and strobes which is difficult to correct in post.</p>

<p>While a panoramic can work in situations like this (best done outdoors under a clear sky) it is VERY difficult with people who may move and cause double overlaps.</p>

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<p>Make sure if you are doing the on the hill or stairs type of thing to have a smaller aperture so your depth of field is appropriate and everyone is in focus.</p>

<p>Marisol,<br>

If possible, you'll want to arrange the group on stairs or risers and then get as high as possible. The best scenario is for your camera to be parallel to the angle of the group so that your distance to the people on the top row is as close to the distance to the people in the bottom row as possible. You'll also want your lights to follow the same, otherwise the people in from will be over-exposed while the people in the rear will be under-exposed. Make sure to visit and scope out the area prior to the day of the shoot.....-TED :-)</p>