Group Shots

[christina_mallet]

I'm doing my first wedding this summer and my client has a list of 45 group

shots she needs. She wants to know how long it would take to shoot these 45

shots comprised of 67 individual people.

 

I'm trying to give her an idea of how long this will take (shooting and

arranging only--I'll have an assistant to wrangle the people from the party to

the shooting location) and have come up with a method but I need some input from

people who have experience doing this sort of gig.

 

Here is the data.

 

45 shots, comprised of 67 individuals.

I've totaled up the sum of people in each shot and I get 233 people.

 

Does 1 minute per person, per group sound like a reasonable time estimate, one

that leaves a little bit of cushion? If so, the total number of minutes is 233

or 3.8 hours.

 

Is there a better way to calculate how long this might take?

 

Thanks,

Christina

[ben_rubinstein___mancheste1664880652]

Bit confused, 45 group shots is 45 group shots, you aren't shooting per person. I would leave an hour to be safe assuming they are organised. If most of the groups are different combinations of the same people (adding or subtracting people rather than completely new combo each time) as this seems to be, it could run faster.

[annealmasy]

We tell people to allow 5 minutes per grouping. It usually only takes us 1-2 minutes to

shoot a group, but it ultimately depends on how cooperative people are. (E.g., are they

there on time, will they all look at the camera, are they responsive to instruction, are there

screaming children involved, etc.) :) It also depends on your style of shooting. I don't

spend a lot of time posing people, and if you plan to pose each person individually it may

take you quite a bit longer.

 

You REALLY need to be skilled at handling large groups for the type of portrait "event"

you're describing. You will need to very clearly direct people to their positions, and be

able to keep their attention. A 3+ hour portrait shoot with 67 people will be pretty

exhausting - especially if you've never shot a wedding before.

 

I would try to help the client narrow their list to around 20 groupings. (Even 20 is a lot!) If

she's determined to have this many group shots, just make sure she clearly understand

the amount of time involved. Also make it clear in writing what you can and cannot do.

E.g., if people do not show up on time, you will move on to the next grouping WITHOUT

the absent party.

[merle_white]

There is so much variance in the organization of one family to another, I usually tell the bride that if I don't get all groupings they would like me to take during the formals that I will get the others they request during the reception. Be sure to first get the bride and her parents and then her immediate family, same with the grooms side. Time wise like Ben said about an hour IF they are organized.

[sam_ellis]

I had a wedding like this who wanted about 35 different groupings and I came up with a pretty good strategy. I asked her to give me a list of each person she wanted in each shot. I put the shots in order to minimize switching people too much by adding one or two people, then subtracting one or two people for the next shot. I had each shot listed on a clipboard and would call out who was in the shot along with who was going to be needed next. This way they knew they were on deck for the next photo. I also enlisted the assistance of a family member to work on getting people together for the next shot. It really made things go smoothly. You'll never get a perfect shot order, but you can try to minimize people coming and going.

 

As far as timing goes, I usually say about 5 minutes per group with the assumption that a larger group may take a little longer and a smaller group will be quicker. It's better to be done sooner than to be taking too long. Make sure they know how long to expect and they let the caterer or banquet hall know how long you will be.

 

Good luck,

Sam

[steve_levine]

A fast photographer can breeze rapidly through a list. A slow photographer can take hours. A first timer should fall somewhere in between. Remember you are depending on the cooperation of the guests, and the skill of the wrangler. I've had my assistant brought to tears by rude un-cooperative guests.

 

 

 

 

At weddings we (photographers)are often the obstacle between a bunch of 20 year olds, and an open bar. This keeps things in perspective.

[doug_axford1]

The biggest problem I can see is this "I'll have an assistant to wrangle the people from the party to the shooting location" If they are supplying the wrangler, that's great, if you are, there's a problem. Trying to locate and get everyone needed in a shot in a timely fashion is a HUGE problem. When I get tough lists like this, I tell the bride that I'll be glad to take all the shots she wants, her job is to find someone to get all the people in front of me on time. Now, if people aren't there on time or in the shot, it's not my fault. It's a lose-lose situation otherwise.

 

Doug

[JohnWebster]

Is there a compelling reason to divert the attention that belongs to the bride and groom for these 45 group shots? Is it tradition in this family to do these groups? If they insist on accomplishing this I would have in my contract that I would not begin any groups unless all 67 individuals are present (roll call please). The client would be responsible for informing all the participants, in advance of the wedding, in which groups their presence is needed. I would require that two knowlegeable handlers, one family member from each side of the family, be present to call the names and herd the correct people together. Each handler would be responsible for checking off each group accomplished. I would allow an average of 60 seconds per group--no one would sit down, talk, or do anything but listen for 45 minutes while this miracle of groupdom is accomplished. So there it is--45 minutes. If these groups are the reception entertainment with no dinner, dancing, cake cutting, etc to be concerned with then take 4-5 hours if appropriate. If they say 45 minutes is too long, green-screen them individually as full length portraits and composite as necessary in photoshop after the wedding. Let's see-- 10 seconds times 67= 670 seconds= 11 minutes for capture. 22 hours of photoshop to put together the groups at $50 per hour= $1,100 artwork in addition to the package.

[ian_cooke1]

All I know is that I'm glad I won't be you on that day. After about 8 or 10, it gets to be a

drag. I couldn't imagine 45 ! Do they really need all those shots?

[david_prouty]

This is called bypassing paying for family portraits by having a HUGE amount of family groups done at a wedding. 45 groups is ASTOUNDING! If these people are in a large amount of each group, why do they have to be so finely divided? This is something I dread hearing from a client, but, don't get me wrong, I would try to do them. I just won't guarantee every one of them to be done due to no shows or more likely people who leave the place for doing them. The ligisitics are just too difficult to handle even for someone who may know all of the people involved. If it takes as long as Anne takes for each one you will be looking at almost FOUR HOURS just for these groups! Even if you get them done faster it would be about two hours. It's an hour and a half if you get two minutes for each one. Then you have the bride and groom to do. That alone should take 15-25 minutes if you need multiple locations for their romantics. John's method is logical, but unrealistic I think in getting that many people to not talk and listen to instruction. HA HA! I'd like to see that happen! Thanks for the laugh! I'm with Ian on this one. Glad it's not me!

[doug_axford1]

I want to change my answer.

 

Get 6 Navy Seals each with a zap gun, seal the room, including the bathroom, rent a Hell's Angels guy with a bullhorn and a whip and you'll be done in 30 minutes flat. What's the problem?

 

The B&G just expect you to work miracles, what else is new.

 

Doug

[robbie_caswell]

That is insane and "wrangling them from the party" is a recipe for disaster. How do you expect to cover the rest of the day? Tell them it's $XXX to hire another photographer just to do formals.

 

I was lucky on my last wedding to have an organized wedding party/family and the help of the MOH. There were 90 requested shots spread out three hours pre and post ceremony. Grooms side took less than 30 minutes. Bride took the full hour allocated. Post ceremony was another hour and they blew off some stuff.

 

The first 2007 wedding I did was in coordination with another pro. She easily took 2hours for all of the nephews, aunts, uncles. I left the church and headed to the dinner cruise and they were still shooting.

 

Urge that less is more time for the primary focus of the day. Not some shot list they get from the Knot or the whims of an old fashioned mother.

[dave_thielen]

45 groups shots = 450 minutes = 7.5 hours. Thinking it can be cone any quicker is just insane. Even moving a few people in and out of a large group will take 3-4 minutes and that is if they are standing by. Most won't be. Even is you start with everybody in place, by the time 10 minutes has gone by, you will have a handful of people that will have drifted away and you have to go round them up again.

 

If it is all family groups, then offer to do most of them the next day at the gift opening. And yes I would do all the groups, every picture you take is another potential sale. Not doning them not only disappoints the bride, but reduces the amount of potential sales.