ZoZo
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OK, I posted at the weekend about some simple people photography tips, and now the fingers have recovered from over typing, here is a little bit more
Groups seem to be an issue for many people, so let's give a little bit of thought to what you're doing there.
Firstly, the options - you could do:
- the messy group and photograph from above
- the victorian line up with everyone looking deadly serious or pulling cheesy smiles
- something stylised that looks like it could be straight out of Annie Leibovitz's camera
- a directed structure that has a feeling of the casual to it, reflecting people's character.
I like the 3rd and 4th options - though with really big groups I'll do the first one, and given too many groups to do at a wedding I might have to resort to the second one. But 3 and 4 are my preference.
Now, the Annie L style doesn't suit everyone, but if it does, the best way to get that across is to show you - and here is the link to the Hollywood covers she has done. I love them and look at them regularly -
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/02/hollywoodcovers_slideshow200702#slide=1
So let's consider the 4th option then. A directed style that has a structure to it whilst also allowing people's character to come out.
Firstly, consider who your anchor is - who is the important person in the image? It could be a grandparent, a company director, a football coach, whatever the role is, use your key person as the anchor. This means that you will pose everyone else in consideration of them. Now, it's not always possible to pose them first, but if it is, then that's what you do, and if not use somebody or something to put in position so that you can then direct everyone else around the anchor.
Next, consider the shape that you want. The options include:
- a triangle (you know what one of those is, right?)
- an inverted triangle (a triangle upside down)
- a W shape (so you'd have people positioned in such a way you can see the sense of a W shape)
- an M shape (pretty much a W upside down!)
- a flattened W or M - the key person or people are at the points of the letters nearest the camera, and you know if you were to view the positioning from an aerial position you'd see a W or an M, but from the ground you see people in the foreground and people in the background)
- groups within a group (a large group of people who have been positioned in their own little groups of 3, 4 or 5 - a great painting for seeing this demonstrated is The Death of Nelson hanging up in the Walker Art Gallery, where you can see a mix of triangles, inverted triangles, and groups within the group - http://www.wewerethere.defencedynamics.mod.uk/preww/images/death_of_nelson_lg.jpg If you can't see the relevance, I often go to the gallery and anyone who wants to can come on one of my little tours)
So how can you translate this into creating your own group?
First off, just relax over it. I do little stick drawings when I know I'm going to create a large group image, and I work out where I'll put the key characters. I then have this on me for reference as I build up the group, and I may make adjustments. My clients know I am working to create something unique because I have prepared them (yesterday at a consult I got booked specifically for this kind of family group shot, and the family accept I will take time to set it up), so you can relax and just create what you need to do. I generally have a laugh with people whilst I'm doing the set up, keep them relaxed, get some banter going.
Next, work on sitting people, standing them up and leaning them against something - back of a chair, a wall, another person. And build up your people. I love the way that Annie L joins one person or group of people to another with fabric or an object, or part of someone's body (something you also see in Death of Nelson)
And finally, give people different things to look at, think about, or do, and step back and take the image. If it doesn't work, tweak things until it does work. It takes me about 10 minutes to set one of these images up, and the results are fabulous!
Hope that helps someone - with groups of anything upwards of 3 or more people and you can get playing with your groups images - and have fun!
Groups seem to be an issue for many people, so let's give a little bit of thought to what you're doing there.
Firstly, the options - you could do:
- the messy group and photograph from above
- the victorian line up with everyone looking deadly serious or pulling cheesy smiles
- something stylised that looks like it could be straight out of Annie Leibovitz's camera
- a directed structure that has a feeling of the casual to it, reflecting people's character.
I like the 3rd and 4th options - though with really big groups I'll do the first one, and given too many groups to do at a wedding I might have to resort to the second one. But 3 and 4 are my preference.
Now, the Annie L style doesn't suit everyone, but if it does, the best way to get that across is to show you - and here is the link to the Hollywood covers she has done. I love them and look at them regularly -
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/02/hollywoodcovers_slideshow200702#slide=1
So let's consider the 4th option then. A directed style that has a structure to it whilst also allowing people's character to come out.
Firstly, consider who your anchor is - who is the important person in the image? It could be a grandparent, a company director, a football coach, whatever the role is, use your key person as the anchor. This means that you will pose everyone else in consideration of them. Now, it's not always possible to pose them first, but if it is, then that's what you do, and if not use somebody or something to put in position so that you can then direct everyone else around the anchor.
Next, consider the shape that you want. The options include:
- a triangle (you know what one of those is, right?)
- an inverted triangle (a triangle upside down)
- a W shape (so you'd have people positioned in such a way you can see the sense of a W shape)
- an M shape (pretty much a W upside down!)
- a flattened W or M - the key person or people are at the points of the letters nearest the camera, and you know if you were to view the positioning from an aerial position you'd see a W or an M, but from the ground you see people in the foreground and people in the background)
- groups within a group (a large group of people who have been positioned in their own little groups of 3, 4 or 5 - a great painting for seeing this demonstrated is The Death of Nelson hanging up in the Walker Art Gallery, where you can see a mix of triangles, inverted triangles, and groups within the group - http://www.wewerethere.defencedynamics.mod.uk/preww/images/death_of_nelson_lg.jpg If you can't see the relevance, I often go to the gallery and anyone who wants to can come on one of my little tours)
So how can you translate this into creating your own group?
First off, just relax over it. I do little stick drawings when I know I'm going to create a large group image, and I work out where I'll put the key characters. I then have this on me for reference as I build up the group, and I may make adjustments. My clients know I am working to create something unique because I have prepared them (yesterday at a consult I got booked specifically for this kind of family group shot, and the family accept I will take time to set it up), so you can relax and just create what you need to do. I generally have a laugh with people whilst I'm doing the set up, keep them relaxed, get some banter going.
Next, work on sitting people, standing them up and leaning them against something - back of a chair, a wall, another person. And build up your people. I love the way that Annie L joins one person or group of people to another with fabric or an object, or part of someone's body (something you also see in Death of Nelson)
And finally, give people different things to look at, think about, or do, and step back and take the image. If it doesn't work, tweak things until it does work. It takes me about 10 minutes to set one of these images up, and the results are fabulous!
Hope that helps someone - with groups of anything upwards of 3 or more people and you can get playing with your groups images - and have fun!
