Advice needed for formal group photo

Anorakus

Anorakus

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I've been asked to do a photo of my mate and his colleagues at work - my mate is a copper :suspect: and they want it doing in uniform in front of the station :eek:

There are 13 of them. I had thought of doing two rows, say 5 seated on chairs in front and the rest stood behind. Perhaps everyone holding their hat/helmet under their arm?

Any advice from anyone used to doing formal shots like this appreciated... Arkady....?

A.
 
Yep...
Two rows.
Front row seated.
Centre person with feet together, those to the right with left foot over right, those to the left with right foor over left (outer legs crossed over to the middle.)
Hands made into fists and resting palms-down on knees.

No helmets unless specified.

Senior ranks in the middle front with lower ranks going 'outboard' - junior ranks in the rear row.

Text centred with any divisional and or Service badges at the corners.
Do a 'stroke' on a seperate layer and bevel/emboss to suit. Colour of stroke appropriate to service.

4688036366_0aced0a598_z.jpg
 
@Arkady.. What a star.. I knew you'd know the answer :)

At the risk of sounding dumb, what's a "stroke"? Army speak for the caption? I like the idea of doing it in Photoshop and getting it burned on to the finished print, rather than getting a custom mount made and having it underneath.

Is there any rule on whether helmets should be worn, not worn or cradled under the arm?

A.
 
The 'stroke' is the coloured line going round the image.
Create a new empty layer above the image layer, then with the empty layer selected hold the Ctrl key while clicking on the thumbnail of the image in the layers stack - a selection of 'marching ants' will appear in the new layer at the edge of the image.
Then go edit>stroke, select the colour and about 10px for the width - select 'inside' for the position otherwise you'll get an angled corner instead of a sharp one.
Go to layer properties and apply bevel and emboss to suit.

This 'lifts' the image away from the canvas.

Wearing helmets will render all the eyes as dark sockets - the 'peak' of the old bobby-helmet comes to a point just above the bridge of the nose when worn properly, so leave them out.
Putting them under arms will just look awkward.

No helmets or peaked hats.
 
The police may not be quite so disciplined as Arkady's forces lot. You may have to check carefully everyone has proper uniform, the same, radios or no radios, top buttons done up, batons or no batons etc. etc. They tend to like pictures in front of police stations or features such as old police boxes or force crests. Another issue is to set it up to work quickly, members of the public tend to complain if they see a dozen officers gathering for a photo and not out on the streets.
 
BlackCloud said:
The police may not be quite so disciplined as Arkady's forces lot. You may have to check carefully everyone has proper uniform, the same, radios or no radios, top buttons done up, batons or no batons etc. etc. They tend to like pictures in front of police stations or features such as old police boxes or force crests. Another issue is to set it up to work quickly, members of the public tend to complain if they see a dozen officers gathering for a photo and not out on the streets.
Click to expand...

If it's a proper 'formal' shot they should be in dress blues, with whistle-chains and medals/ribbons, not woolly-pullys, stab-vests and bat-utility belts...lol
 
Daryl said:
organise as Rob (Arkady) says Only thing I would have different is the back row. Height order tallest in the centre. No shorties in the middle of the back line.

The eye should flow around the group. taleest centre gradual out to the sides....

Nice shot that.
Click to expand...

Other way round for us - tallest at the outside, shortest in the middle.

Sorry, forgot that...
 
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