Family group photos

Grayman

Grayman

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Graeme
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Hello folks,

Looking for some advice for some group photos I will be taking.

I am taking some family portraits for a good friend of mine. Her father suffers from Parkinson's and as I know the family well she has asked me to take the pictures as he is comfortable around me. She knows that I am an amateur photographer and has offered to pay me although I have said I don't want any payment for it (particularly as she has helped me out on many occasions) and we have agreed on a donation to a Parkinson's charity rather than payment.

I will be looking to take pictures of the whole family, 8 adults (including the grandparents) and 5 young kids and I plan to 'build' the family around the grandparents. I will be using my 7D and 24-104 f4. I will also be taking along my speedlight.

The pictures will be done at my friend's house, in the lounge which is fairly large.

Any suggestions or advice on posing the group and ideas would be most welcome.

Thanks
 
Are you going to put a modifier on your speedlite?
 
Sounds like you need to use an umbrella! Get yourself a shoot through umbrella to give you a soft light source for the group and you'll be well away :) Where are you based, if you're in Lancashire you can borrow one of mine!

Ideally I would like a minimum of 2 lights for such a large group but you will have to work with what you have. Can you use a large window as a second light source perhaps?

Do you have a stand so you can raise the light up and angle it down, if not they are pretty cheap (you get what you pay for mind!) if you haven't yet discovered the Strobist website or Zach Arias One Light Workshop now is your time ;)
 
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Thanks folks.

Thanks Ferj, though I live in Hampshire. Mind you the drive would be nice.:) Have a large reflector umbrella and light stand, although a shoot through umbrella sounds like a better idea. The lounge has large patio doors which which I can hopefully make use of the light from, but as suggested 2 speedlights would be better than one.
 
With that many people you'll probably be better off bouncing the flash off a wall for an even spread. I often put speedlights on light stands and use walls as softboxes by bouncing them off camera. If you use an umbrella for that many people it'll have to be either a huge one or you'll have to have enough time to set it up so it feathers the light across the range. You'll need the umbrella a good way back from them (inverse square law 'n' all that). If it's just clean light you need bounce it behind you with a wide spread.
 
The23rdman said:
With that many people you'll probably be better off bouncing the flash off a wall for an even spread. I often put speedlights on light stands and use walls as softboxes by bouncing them off camera. If you use an umbrella for that many people it'll have to be either a huge one or you'll have to have enough time to set it up so it feathers the light across the range. You'll need the umbrella a good way back from them (inverse square law 'n' all that). If it's just clean light you need bounce it behind you with a wide spread.
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Thanks Dean, really good points for me to think about. Will definitely consider bouncing the light off the walls.

Cheers,
Graeme
 
One thing which may catch you out is the focal length , indoors on a 7d 24 mm is not that wide even in a large room, do they have a garden outside or any other options if you get stuck ? With doing weddings we do hundreds of these types of shots in peoples houses and tbh with the right bounce techniques you can do it all without extra umbrellas etc although they can make the job easier if you have them and the time. As said just bounce off a wall behind or above stick your camera and flash in manual and get the perfect settings that way if your not going to be moving around too much.

In my own experience once you get past 4-5 people even in a large room you start struggling at 35mm which is similar to where you would be , i use a 24 prime for these shots on FF which is more like 17-18mm on yours.
 
Andrew Davies Photography said:
One thing which may catch you out is the focal length , indoors on a 7d 24 mm is not that wide even in a large room, do they have a garden outside or any other options if you get stuck ? With doing weddings we do hundreds of these types of shots in peoples houses and tbh with the right bounce techniques you can do it all without extra umbrellas etc although they can make the job easier if you have them and the time. As said just bounce off a wall behind or above stick your camera and flash in manual and get the perfect settings that way if your not going to be moving around too much.

In my own experience once you get past 4-5 people even in a large room you start struggling at 35mm which is similar to where you would be , i use a 24 prime for these shots on FF which is more like 17-18mm on yours.
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All the above^
 
Andrew Davies Photography said:
One thing which may catch you out is the focal length , indoors on a 7d 24 mm is not that wide even in a large room, do they have a garden outside or any other options if you get stuck ? With doing weddings we do hundreds of these types of shots in peoples houses and tbh with the right bounce techniques you can do it all without extra umbrellas etc although they can make the job easier if you have them and the time. As said just bounce off a wall behind or above stick your camera and flash in manual and get the perfect settings that way if your not going to be moving around too much.

In my own experience once you get past 4-5 people even in a large room you start struggling at 35mm which is similar to where you would be , i use a 24 prime for these shots on FF which is more like 17-18mm on yours.
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Thanks for the advice Andrew, really appreciate it.

They have a fairly large back garden which I could make use of so will put my thinking cap on and get some ideas in my head before going over to them.
 
Grayman said:
Thanks for the advice Andrew, really appreciate it.

They have a fairly large back garden which I could make use of so will put my thinking cap on and get some ideas in my head before going over to them.
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Get them outside.
 
I'd say go outside myself, but you cannot rely on the weather at all right now.
 
Thanks folks. Weather permitting I will go outside, although I will need to think creatively about posing the group if it's chucking down.
 
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