Beginner Football team photo's

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Landells

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Hey guys and girls


I was wondering if some of you lovely people can give me some helpfull advice?

I'm due to be taking team photo's and induvidual player photo's for a professional football team in the next couple of months and I was wondering if anyone can give me some tips and stuff like should I use a high F~ or a low one, should I use my flash, should I use a tripod etc..

It will be getting done on the Stadium pitch so it will be outside and is it best to use the flash outside. My equipment is below

Nikon D7000
Flash is a nikon SB900
Lenses are nikkor 70-300m f4
Nikkor 108mm f4

I'm pretty nervous about it to be honest as I dont really have a great deal of experience with portraiture.

Thanks guy really appreciate it :)
 
Tripod for sure an f stop of around f8. Can you confirm the focal length of your second lens? I'd use the flash as fill in, for the team shot. F4 for individuals

*for group shots.

*Individual shot's i'd not use a tripod

My own experience is more cricket teams & amateur football (where the squad has only warranted two rows). I'd always use a tripod for group shots but I wouldn't take any from a low down angle - I'm not sure a pro team would request that?

Also i'd make sure the team weren't too close to a stand so they don't get "lost" in any seating as you need good depth of field so wouldn't necessarily be able to blur the background much (maybe photoshop can make it less distracting)
 
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Landells said:
I'm pretty nervous about it to be honest as I dont really have a great deal of experience with portraiture.
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You say this is for a proffesional football team.. thus a team pic will be used on the website.. in the club program. possibly merchandise and given to apposing teams for there program.... As its a pro team to be used for all that then I can only presume your being paid? But either way my question is.. How do you end up doing this and not having a clue how to?

chivers67 said:
Tripod for sure an f stop of around f8. Can you confirm the focal length of your second lens? I'd use the flash as fill in, for the team shot. F4 for individuals
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Personally I dont see why you would need a tripod (I will explain why not) and as for the fstops.. seems odd to offer advice when we dont know the lighting.... and thats the problem with team pictures.. they are set for a certain day and time.. yours is in winter you say? so could be rain or snow ..could be clear blue sky.. depends on time of day I guess


PRE SHOOT
Make sure the club know to have chair/benches ready and in position.. make sure the players know not to wear tee shirts under the kit.. its a problem when they appear at neckline no matter what colour ..Make sure captain knows to wear his armband... as its not a game they forget.. extra staff such as phisio, kit man ect so all be wearing matching tops (usualy training tops) and if possible find out how many players, keepers and staff.. also which staff need to be front row center.. manager and assistant manager maybe.. this way you can maybe workout beforehand out to set them up so its symetrical to view

SETUP
You don't say how many players but a pro team have a lot.. rather then two lines and a long oblong picture you are better wIth three lines and a more 3:2 feel.. this will be easier for the club to use.... Back rows stands on benches... middle row stands.. front row sits ...I start with a basic goalkeepers back row center... management front row center.. even number of players either side... middle row players only.. this way it doesnt matter if you have an even or uneven number of players.... extra staff will go on either side of center row so make sure that was the shortest... if extra staff is uneven number then stick em in the middle.. OK now we are setup but one last bit.. have a look at the players on the front row.. if you have 6 say... try to make sure its 6 players with black or dark boots..... nothign worse than one or two pairs of bright green or red booots taking the eye away.. so if you can.. all dark or even white doesnt look odd..

SHOOT
Players are like children and have a short attention span.. they also like to mess about.. You can tell them you are taking test shots and to relax for first few minutes..... At one team I do we always have a silly face shot while I am setting up.. this gets it out of the system.... its not one direct front on picture... a tripod would get in the way... take the front on.. then get on a chair and take a high one.. then put your camera on the floor ..point up slightly.. over expose by 2/3 maybe a full stop if sky behind them... take pics from left and right... if they have sponsors boards then extra pics with those.. depending on the light.. get the best fstop you can.. with three rows you have positioned as close together as possible then 2.8 isnt any good.. if its a loverly day and you have a choice then start f8 at least and focus on back or middle row... personally i take one of each...but usualy back or middle gives best results.. If your in shade (from a stand maybe) then I would not use flash... but its going to depend on your position and the light available.. its not somehtign we can advise from here...and to be fair your should know a certain amount about light/shadows before taking this job on...

Oh and get them to say cheese.. because theres no other way I know of where you will get them all looking at you. smiling and eyes open :)



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Tripod will make it easier to do photoshop head swaps for any players with a case of blinkies!
 
KIPAX said:
Personally I dont see why you would need a tripod (I will explain why not) and as for the fstops.. seems odd to offer advice when we dont know the lighting.... and thats the problem with team pictures.. they are set for a certain day and time.. yours is in winter you say? so could be rain or snow ..could be clear blue sky.. depends on time of day I guess
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Each to their own methods I'll explain here why i'd use one - I'd use a tripod to set up camera and compose the group just under head height (it wouldn't be in the way for me), if your camera is sitting on a tripod if you have to approach the group to move anyone to improve the look/composition you can simply leave your camera where it is and not have it swinging round your neck - unless you hold onto it in which case it's hard to express to people how to move and where to move? On a tripod you'd then be able to look at the group as a whole and maintain "eye contact" as best as possible rather than tiny objects though the lens - in my experience taking group shots like this is far more effective and produces more consistent results. I'd use that f stop of around f8 and adjust the ISO setting according to the light if too slow shutter speed for exposure was required - the camera the op has should give sufficient quality even at high ISO speed but were not talking over 1600 iso unless the lights very bad in which case you'd use more flash anyway. I doubt very much a team photo would take place under rain or snow especially nancy footballers - just saying. Also what Dan above says too
 
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chivers67 said:
Each to their own methods - I
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Of course.. i never suggested mine was the only way or even the best..hence why i started with "Personally" and went onto explain why rather then just saying use it.. Dis I really need to repeat that?



chivers67 said:
use a tripod to set up camera and compose the group just under head height (it wouldn't be in the way for me),
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It wouldnt be in t he way for anyone if you where just taking that one pic from that one angle... but we are not..

chivers67 said:
in my experience taking group shots like this
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go on then.. whats your experience in pro football team photos please ? .... So wheres the tripod when you take a pic from higher up and from low down and then from the left and then from the right.. theres no way these players are sitting there whil you set the tripod up in all these positions.. esp the on the floor job..


Its not a wedding you know.. its 20 to 30 footballers and you want a few different shots not just one head on..

Anyway.. I just put my thoughts based on taking these for a living doing various teams.. mens womens and juniors... in rain and shine for the last ten yrs. :) the OP can take or leave or go with the wedding approach :)
 
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Graham W said:
Not such an issue now that footy shorts have gone back to the 1940's style, but in the 70's and 80's when shorts were short "wardrobe malfunctions" were not uncommon! :)
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Yeagh had players do it on purpose.. forgot to mention in my post about the speech ..explain to the players you ahve seen it all before. rabbits and mice (your eg haha).. or the hands on someone elses knee (yawn) and tell them we all have to come back if they mess it up and everyone will know whos fault.....
 
Tony's setup is great advice. The only thing I would add is middle and back row either all fold arms or all clasp hands behind their back - not a mixture of both. Front row all sitting with knees at 90 degrees and a few inches apart from each other at a comfortable distance, not spread or closed. Legs not tucked under or stretched out in front. Feet pointing straight out and parallel to each other. I went along the front row and put my foot in between each one of theirs and asked them to butt up their feet to my foot so that each player had their feet the same distance apart. Hands of the front row players on their knees with fingers slightly apart. Another option I tried was for the front row to make a fist on top of the knees but this didn't look as good imho

Just my six pen'uth
 
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