Group Photography of up to 100 people - Need Help

[alex_foto]

<p>Hello all,</p>

<p>I just got asked to take on a project for this upcoming long weekend. It is a high-school reunion of up to 100 people and they would like for me to take a group photo of all at the same time.</p>

<p>I do have D300s and D80s with 17-55 f/2.8 Nikkor lense and 24-70 f/2.8 Sigma lense with SB800 and SB900 flashes and with a couple of 180W strobes and their 16x20 soft-boxes.</p>

<p>Having said that, do you think I can achieve a decent 16x20 group photo with what I have? What do you suggest? Is that sufficient enough or need I rent some continuous lighting system? Please help,<br>

p.s. it is at a hotel's ball-room and/or reception area, so I am assuming that it low-lit area.<br>

Thank you,</p>

[steve m smith]

<p>Sounds like a job for large format to me (or at least medium). Think about how much of the frame each one of those 100 faces is going to take up and how many pixels will represent that face.</p>

<p>The people in that photograph would like to recognise themselves (and others) and I think that will only happen with the increased resolution which a large piece of film will provide.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>How large are you going to print ?<br>

If something like 11 x 14" or 11 x 17", then your D300 or D80 should cover well that picture size.<br>

If everybody's face will have sufficient number of pixels to make a portrait out of it?, perhaps not.<br>

Ask yourself, how large would you print if you had a medium or large format camera? Would the print size be much larger ? ... then you would really need a larger format camera.</p>

[alex_foto]

<p>Thank you Steve and Frank! Those are great points. Enough pixels for all the people in it is my mission not that they would make portrait out of it but they should be able to recognise themselves and get recognized by others.<br>

Frank, my plan is to print about 16 x 20 max.<br>

BTW what about the lighting system? is it enough? do I need to mix them up?</p>

[mike_earussi1]

<p>I agree with Steve. To show a high level of detail in 100 individual faces your 12mp D300 just doesn't have enough resolution. It would be better to rent a 4x5 (or larger) camera and some professional high powered flashes for the job. If you're unfamiliar with view cameras then at least consider renting the 24mp Nikon D3x.</p>

[john_a5]

<p>The size of the print is probably more relevant than how big are the faces--who is going to buy a 40x50 inch print? These sorts of things are not that serious but more fun--or should be. It is just a matter of recording the group size and the inidividual faces are probably less important as no standard print size will ever show most of them--people in the back will pick themselves out by their clothes and knowing where they were in the shot.</p>

<p>I did this sort of thing for a friend of mine at his niece's wedding and I just got a ladder (you may need a 9 footer or so) and climbed to the top of it and did the shot with a superwide lens shooting down onto the crowd. Your problem is more, most likely, that of lighting--mine was done outdoors (I took everyone out for the shot!) You might find out if the lights can be turned up for the photo--generally not an issue, but may not be bright enough. I just am not sure, short of using a professional set up, that you could actually light a group that size anyway--professional meaning tall booms holding the lights well above the group in several areas--or if shot from the ground, several studio strobes positioned high and along the width of the group (feathered over those in front). Take them outside!</p>

[alex_foto]

<p>Thanks Mike and John A!</p>

<p>John, it is as scary as I thought it would be. But taking them outside is also a good idea.</p>

 

[john_a5]

<p>Alex, do you think anyone will really buy even a 16x20 print? Even if they do, your 12mp camera will do a good job with it. I made a couple of 40x50's for my assistant from a 12mp camera and they were incredible.</p>

<p>I think you need a wider lens (on the DX format), not necessarily more MP for this, but it is always best to get whatever makes you feel the most comfortable--never downplay the psychological factors in these sorts of things!</p>

[alex_foto]

<p>John,<br>

Frankly speaking, I don't think anyone will buy 16x20, but may be 11x14.<br>

About those psychological factors, I don't give them much consideration. Thanks for the moral, John!</p>

[steve_levine]

<p>In <em>my </em>experience with groups, I never shoot wider than a 35mm lens (FF). The reason: in <em>my</em> experience, a 28mm or a 24mm lens, will start to distort subjects near the frame edges. <br /> With a 35mm lens, your frame is about the width of ten average sized people.</p>

<p>With 3 rows of: 10 people seated on chairs, 10 standing behind, and ten seated on the floor. This is only 30 people!</p>

<p>So in order for the next seven rows of 10 people (each standing) to be seen. You have to have to either raise them, or raise you (easiest unless you got bleachers or tiered theater seats). So you need a tall place from which to shoot, a balcony ,out a window or on a ladder. The goal here is simply to arrange them so that every face is visible, none blocked by anyone.</p>

<p>As for lighting. I'd use a single angled blast from above the lens. (Think F11 or f16) On a tripod, with a longish (1/4- 1/15) shutter drag. And shoot a lot frames, and if at all possible view it on a monitor before you leave the set up.</p>

[vrankin]

<p>If you can find a balcony or second floor vantage point and get them together below looking up with faces in close proximity in a grouping that fills the dimensions of your frame, you could get a nice shot with ample pixels for each face to make a 16 X 20 from your twelve megapixels. I used to shoot church and school anniversary and reunion groups in this way.</p>

[alex_foto]

<p>Steve and Howard,</p>

<p>Thank you very much! Point taken. I shall have fun tomorrow.</p>

<p>Thank you to the rest of the posters, as well, for all your feedback and suggestions! I really appreciate that.</p>

<p>Happy 4th to those in the states and have a pleasant weekend to the rest of you!</p>

<p>Alex</p>

[parv]

If there would not be enough light or would be too much sacrifice of sharpness to achieve "sharp enough" result across many rows, another way would be to shoot in one or two rows per image to be combined later.

[steve_l]

<p>Steve has some great points. Getting 100 people in the photo is not the easiest thing to do. I have done many of these, and I think he has given you some good options. Plan this out ahead. If you can get photo risers they can be very helpful, but they can also be costly. Your best bet is to get higher. </p>