large portrait sitting 90 ***

K

kulJamal

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Hi Guys,

I have been asked to shoot a large group sitting off the back of a wedding i shot last week.

I have recieved the order of group shots and it works out to be approx 170 different photos. Its a one off family shoot!

I am ok with the single and smaller group shots say upto 10-15 people, however the master shoot will include 90 people, newborns, kids, youths parents and grandparents!!!!!

The shoot will poss be outside pending the weather.

I shoot weddings mainly and have never come accross this size group shot before.

Can you advise on
1) lighting
2) lens
3) seating/standing
4) examples on how to position this huge group


many thanks

k
 
Unless you have access to a multiple light set-up, it's a daylight shot for that many people. Lighting a big group like this is a nightmare - I have done it that way (once!) and it took a couple of hours to balance the lights so everyone was evenly illuminated...
Largest group I've done was 800 people and it was done on a D1x held vertically and with about 15 images taken along the front of the group then stitched together in PS later...

I did a group of about 180 in Afghan (Household Cavalry Regt and Grenadier and Coldstream Guards) on the D3x and it still could have been better if I'd done that as a multi-shot stitch as well...

Layer the group, otherwise it'll look like a firing squad...some standing, some sitting, some leaning against things.
Best if you pick a decent location first, then 'drape' the bodies around it informally...

Here's the test-shot for the HCR group with about 130 pax standing-in for a lighting check (we shot the next afternoon when the rest of the sub-units were in attendance). Note that the RSMs idea of having Blue and Maroon smoke trails failed dismally as it all blended to a nice purple...lol

I shot this just after sunset, so that there were no harsh shadows across the faces. It meant I had about 45 seconds to take the shot once we were all set-up. This was the only place this shot could be taken within the camp and it had to be done then or never. It's now covered with accommodation tents used by more US troops based here.

4524775641_4daa6fed46.jpg
 
Arkady said:
Unless you have access to a multiple light set-up, it's a daylight shot for that many people. Lighting a big group like this is a nightmare - I have done it that way (once!) and it took a couple of hours to balance the lights so everyone was evenly illuminated...
Largest group I've done was 800 people and it was done on a D1x held vertically and with about 15 images taken along the front of the group then stitched together in PS later...

I did a group of about 280 in Afghan (Household Cavalry Regt and Grenadier and Coldstream Guards) on the D3x and it still could have been better if I'd done that as a multi-shot stitch as well...

Layer the group, otherwise it'll look like a firing squad...some standing, some sitting, some leaning against things.
Best if you pick a decent location first, then 'drape' the bodies around it informally...
Click to expand...

You won't get much better advice than that :thumbs:
 
Will you have access to a high point like a bridge? If you can be high, it becomes much easier.
 
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