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December 1, 2008 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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Columns |
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Posing & Composition When we compose our group portraits, we try to position our subjects as close to each other as possible. The idea is to fill the frame with faces. This way everyone will fall within the depth-of-field and be rendered sharp. Often this means organizing members of a group in rows. We call them Row One, Row Two, Row Three, etc. The people in Row One are often seated in chairs. If there are children in the shot, they might be seated on the ground in front.
In positioning people in groups, we try to place the more important people centrally. If, for example, we're doing a family portrait, we try to position the grandparents, or the head of the family in the middle, and then place the rest of the family around them. Again, subjects should be tightly packed, shoulder to shoulder. Faces should be the primary element in the pictures. Next you have to be concerned with the position of the camera relative to the group. We like to position the camera about chest-high to avoid unflattering perspective distortion. If we place the camera too low, the torsos and necks become too pronounced. Too high, and the heads seem too large relative to the bodies. When positioning members of the group, we might position individuals wearing lightly colored clothing toward the back, in Row Two, because the clothing can be distracting. Likewise for larger individuals. We might position them toward the back of the group, in profile. This is especially true if you're forced to shoot with a wide-angle lens because of space considerations.  PHOTO: Denis Reggie Cont... While setting up your shot, whether posed or candid, avoid shooting directly into highly reflective surfaces. That includes mirrors and windows, of course, but also highly polished wood paneling. They can cause a reflection of the flash burst to appear in the photo, creating a visually distracting highlight. We prefer to position ourselves at a slight angle to background walls to prevent flash bounceback.
Another problem you'll have when photographing groups is eyeglasses. The problem is glare. When the flash fires, the light reflects off the surface of the glasses, sometimes preventing you from seeing the subject's eyes in the final image. Of course, the easiest thing is to ask your subjects to remove their glasses. Often, however, their peers are unaccustomed to seeing your subjects without glasses, or your subject will squint when the glasses are removed. So if removing the eyeglasses isn't an option, we might raise our lights a little higher, and ask the person wearing glasses to tilt them downward slightly. This usually solves the problem. There are a few ways to help get good expressions from your subjects. I talk with them in a relaxed, non-forced way. And I smile a lot. The photographer can be a model to his or her subjects, showing them the relaxed and upbeat expressions and body language he wants from them by assuming the right attitude him- or herself. If the photographer is smiling and happy, the subjects often follow suit. While I've stressed posing here, it's often something I like to stay away from. When I shoot groups, I like to stay in the background, and wait for photos to happen. I prefer finding them to artificially constructing them. Most of my best and favorite pictures were found though quiet observation. They have a natural and real feeling. I've called it reality-based shooting. When shooting like this, the issue is timing. Speed and alertness is critical. If someone is telling a joke, for example, I make sure I'm in the right place to get a good reaction shot, when the punch line is delivered. Nothing deflates the mood more than a photographer fumbling with his camera saying, "Wait a second, I'm almost there!"  PIC's Point n' Shoot Tip! If your camera has a special Portrait Mode, and you like the results, go ahead, use it. While posing your group, however, try to keep everyone's eyes about the same distance from the camera. This means keeping everyone in Row 1. Why? Because Portrait modes usually set large apertures, which limits depth of field. If your subjects are lined up in two or more rows, there's a chance someone will be out of focus. Don't forget to order duplicate prints!
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